


Second Chances

by Lady_Zephyrine



Series: Lights in the Darkness [5]
Category: Kirby (Video Games)
Genre: Dededad, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Redemption, Sick Character, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27439333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Zephyrine/pseuds/Lady_Zephyrine
Summary: Gooey watches over his brother as he tries to give Popstar a proper chance, though that might be easier said than done. Continues off from "Lost and Found".
Relationships: Dark Matter & Gooey, Gooey & Kirby (Kirby)
Series: Lights in the Darkness [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034295
Comments: 33
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I think my Kirby fanfics have become a series of their own, though I don't know what I'd call it. I suppose it can't be helped, though.
> 
> Anyway, although it continues off from "Lost and Found," I'm starting off from Gooey's perspective. And even then, there's a good chance I might hop to a different one should I need to. But regardless, I hope you'll enjoy this.

Ever since their encounter in Iceberg a few years ago, Gooey had always hoped that he could apologize and explain everything to his brother. Once the two had encountered each other underground, he was finally able to apologize. Not only that, he was happy that his brother finally knew who he truly was.

Unfortunately, his brother was in poor condition at the moment. Dedede carried the sick Dark Matter while Gooey clinged to the penguin's head. Like his brother, Gooey didn't leave completely unscathed. He had three wounds on his side and a bruise over his eye. His brother, on the other hand, had a deep wound on his side. Dedede said something about it being infected.

As for Kirby, he was still underground. Gooey was sure that his adoptive brother was more than capable of taking care of himself, but even then it didn't stop him from worrying. 

It didn't take long to get from underground to the castle. And although the Waddle Dees were confused (and even a little worried for their king), they'd taken Gooey's brother to one of the guest rooms in order to take care of him.

So now, Gooey was sitting in Dedede's room. He had a Chess piece in his mouth. It was a horse...or was it called a Knight? He couldn't remember...

"...You're s'posed to move it in an 'L' shape, Gooey."

"Oh...like this?" Gooey asked as he moved the horse knight to the opposite corner of the board.

"No, it's more like..." Dedede paused as his hand hovered over the piece, only to leave it be when he noticed the drool on it. "You know what? Forget it!"

Gooey grumbled as he dragged his tongue into his mouth, he winced as Dedede placed a hand over his wounds, though he knew the penguin meant no harm.

"...Sorry about that!" Dedede replied as he simply patted the top of his head. "Lemme guess, you're worried about your brother?"

Gooey looked down as he nodded. Sure, there used to be moments where his brother wasn't at his strongest, but even then he'd always find a way to bounce back to his normal self. But now? He wasn't too sure.

"Sire?" A Waddle Doo called out as he quietly opened the door. "We...we've got that Dark Matter all patched up, but I have to ask...do you REALLY think that this is a good idea?"

"It'll be fine," Dedede assured him. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Kirby's already beaten some sense into him at this point."

"But what if he starts to cause trouble again?"

"Well, uh..." Dedede looked at Gooey for a moment before returning his attention to the Waddle Doo. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Understood, sire."

Gooey could understand why everyone here was so hesitant with helping his brother. But even then, they couldn't just let him suffer. Heck, he was still surprised that Dedede was willing to let him stay at the castle after all he'd done. But like Kirby, the penguin had a heart of gold.

"Say, why don't you keep an eye on Dark Matter for the rest of the night?" Dedede asked. "I'm sure he'd love to see you as soon as he wakes up."

"But what about Kirby?" Gooey asked. "Shouldn't we wait for him?"

"He'll show up eventually," Dedede replied with a shrug. He didn't seem too worried.

...Then again, this was Kirby they were talking about. And besides, Gooey's brother would probably want SOME attention, right?

Gooey made his way out of Dedede's room and started heading over to the guest room. There was a Waddle Dee sleeping next to the door, he was probably here to make sure nothing happened. Gooey slowly opened the door, his brother was quietly sleeping in bed. He was curled up under a checkered blanket. There was even a wet cloth sitting over his eye.

"...Brother?" Gooey asked quietly as he hopped onto the bed. He formed an arm as he nudged him gently. "Are you feeling any better?"

His brother didn't respond, he felt unusually warm for a Dark Matter. Gooey tried to think. Whenever he got sick, Kirby would always stick with him until he got better. Whether it involved giving him food, telling him stories, or just spending time with him in general, Kirby would always try to make things less miserable for Gooey.

It had been a few years since Gooey spent any time with his brother, so he wasn't too sure what he could do to make him happy. But one thing he remembered was that his brother always liked talking to him, even if Gooey couldn't talk back at the time. Would his brother be able to hear him, though? Even while he was out cold?

...Well, it was worth a try...right?

"You know...I'm glad you dun have to hide anymore," Gooey said quietly. "There's so much of this world that I wanna show you. There's a lot of friends to meet, food to eat, and plenty of exploring to do. Doesn't that sound nice?"

As expected, his brother didn't respond. He gently nuzzled into his pillow as he started laying on his uninjured side. Gooey had to wonder how his brother was able to put up with his silence for so long.

Regardless, he was sure that his brother still would've liked the attention. Gooey curled up against him like he used to do back in their old home. But unlike then, Gooey also has Kirby with him now. Perhaps when he gets back, he might be able to help take care of Gooey's brother?

After all, Kirby was someone who'd give everybody a chance...right?

* * *

Gooey wasn't sure when he'd dozed off...but by the time he'd opened his eyes, it was already daytime. His brother was still trapped in a deep sleep, the cloth sitting over his eye had fallen beside him. Gooey picked it up and hopped off the bed. "Dun worry, Brother. I'll be right back."

As soon as Gooey opened the door, he could see Kirby sleeping outside. One of his arms was sitting on his face. Gooey tried to nudge him in order to wake him up.

"...Good morning, Gooey!" Kirby said as he sat up and yawned. Gooey stared at him with his eyes half-closed. "You coulda just slept in bed with us, you know."

"Well I didn't wanna bother your brother," Kirby said while rubbing his eyes. "By the way, is he awake?"

Gooey shook his head. "He's still sleeping, and I was gonna get him a wet cloth so his fever'll go down."

"Oh, maybe there's some medicine sitting around somewhere, too!" Kirby said while trying to think.

"You mean that syrupy stuff you give me when I'm sick?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go look for it right now!"

With that said, Kirby ran down the hall and headed into the bathroom. Gooey started heading down there afterwards. Once he was there, he could see Kirby stand in the sink as he dug around in the medicine cabinet. There was so much stuff thrown onto the ground that would probably upset Dedede, were he to walk in on them.

"I found it!"

As Kirby hopped out of the sink, Gooey started to climb it. He turned on the faucet and started getting the cloth wet. The duo headed back into the guest room, where Gooey placed the cloth over his brother's eye. Kirby placed a hand next to the cloth, he frowned as he noticed how warm Gooey's brother was.

"Do you know if he woke up, yet?" Kirby asked. Gooey shook his head. "He...hasn't woken up at all."

"Well, then...We can keep watching over him until he wakes up, OK?"

Gooey liked that idea. Although it seemed like it would take a little while for his brother to wake up, Gooey was sure that he would get better soon. But for now, it was up to him and Kirby to take care of him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a while to get this done, but I did it.
> 
> Knowing me, though. It'll still have a few errors here and there...I'll fix them, later.

For the rest of the day, the duo had barely left the room. And if they did, only one of them would leave at a time. Since Gooey's brother had yet to wake up, Kirby had placed the medicine on the side table for the time being, along with a spoon of course.

Kirby was laying on the floor, he hummed as he doodled on some paper. It looked like he was drawing himself as a doctor. Gooey was sitting on the edge of the bed as he watched Kirby. It was a good distraction at least.

There was a knock on the door, the duo looked in its general direction.

"It's open!" Kirby yelled as he went back to drawing. One of the Waddle Dees quietly opened the door...Or rather, it was Bandana Waddle Dee...Bandana Dee? Gooey wasn't sure.

"Is everything all right?" Bandana Dee asked. "I haven't seen either of you guys all day."

"We're fine!" Kirby replied.

"We're just keeping an eye on Brother," Gooey replied, "But...he dun wake up, yet."

"Ah...well...is it all right if I stick around for a bit?"

"Sure," Kirby replied. "You can sit here and draw with me!"

Bandana Dee walked inside and closed the door behind him. He sat down next to Kirby. He looked up at Gooey with a curious look. "So...that's your brother, right?"

"Y-yeah."

"Huh...and to think he was the one that tried to take over Popstar." Waddle Dee said quietly. "Meanwhile, I get possessed by a Dark Matter and all it can think is 'Get the shard! Get the shard'!"

"Where do you think they are, anyway?" Kirby asked. Bandana Dee replied with a shrug. "Ribbon told me she saw them hiding under a tree once, but they flew away not long after that."

"Ah, well I'm sure it's fine as long as they're not causing any trouble," Kirby said while grabbing another piece of paper. He started coloring on that one, too.

Gooey had heard of the time where three Dark Matter searched for Crystal Shards, but he'd never actually met them before. He didn't know the whole story, but he was certain that those three were probably in a similar situation that Gooey's brother was in right now.

Speaking of which, Gooey's brother started to groan. Although he struggled, he moved until he was laying down on his other side. Once he was comfortable, he lightly nuzzled into his pillow and continued to sleep.

"Oh, the poor thing must be exhausted!" Bandana Dee said sympathetically. Gooey replied with a nod. He gently nudged his brother again, but he still didn't wake up.

"Hey, try not to worry too much, all right?" Kirby said optimistically. "You always pulled through when YOU got sick, so I'm sure he'll be able to pull through, too."

Gooey nodded, though that still didn't stop him from worrying.

* * *

It was late at night, Gooey was curled up against his brother's side while Kirby laid down against his other side. It was very quiet, and hardly anyone was awake at this time...Well, except maybe Dedede. But even then, he wasn't making too much noise either.

But before Gooey was ready to doze off, his brother started to whimper. It looked as if he were struggling to move, which caused Kirby to jump in response.

"O-oh my stars!" Kirby yelled excitedly. "I'm gonna go get Dedede!"

"Kirby, wait!"

...Although it SEEMED like Gooey's brother was waking up, it turns out he was simply just trying to move again. This time, he instinctively curled up against Gooey like he used to do back in their old home.

Gooey hadn't thought about it much, but he had to wonder what his old home was like after he was banished...Then again, Kirby also destroyed it. So if any of his siblings survived, they would've scattered to other parts of the galaxy. And although Gooey had adapted to living in Popstar, it didn't stop him from feeling homesick at times. He was sure that his siblings were probably homesick, too.

"C'mon, don't you know what time it is?" yelled a voice from outside, it sounded like Dedede.

"But I'm telling you , he's awake!" Kirby yelled as he ran through the door. Dedede gave him a confused look. "Yeah...he's as awake as an owl at noon!"

"What?" Kirby looked at Gooey, who shook his head. "He was just moving."

"Right...well, let me know when he ACTUALLY wakes up." Dedede said bitterly as he left the room. Kirby had a disappointed look on his face. "I was hoping he'd wake up, already."

"I was, too." Gooey replied. "But you know what? I think he's just comfy."

It was harder for Gooey's kind to sense positivity, but he was pretty sure his brother was happy in some way or another.

Kirby climbed onto the bed again, he curled up against Gooey's brother's other side. He lightly tugged on one of his spines. "Say, Gooey...do you know why he's so spiky?"

"I dunno," Gooey replied. "He's always been like that."

"OK...then I guess I'll ask him when he wakes up..."

Within a few seconds, it was quiet again. Gooey was starting to doze off. He couldn't wait to talk with his brother, again.

* * *

It had been a couple of days since the group left underground...or at least Gooey thought it was a couple of days, he couldn't remember.

Regardless, Gooey and Kirby continued to watch over Gooey's brother within that time. Every once in a while, Bandana Dee or one of the Waddle Dees would also check up on him as well, and Dedede had his fair share of concerns as well. But for the most part, Gooey's brother was rarely left alone.

Gooey was starting to wake up, he stretched himself for a few seconds before trying to sleep a bit more. He couldn't feel Kirby's presence in the room, but he was sure that he was still somewhere in the castle.

"Good morning, Gooey...did you sleep well?"

Gooey nodded as he started closing his eyes...Only to open them as he realized his brother was speaking to him. He stared at his brother in shock. He was still sore when he moved, and he still felt unusually warm for a Dark Matter. But he was awake regardless.

"Brother!" Gooey yelled happily as he nuzzled against his brother's eye. "We were so worried, I thought you'd never wake up!"

"That's funny, because Dedede of all people said the same thing."

"So that means you're friends now, right?"

"...I wouldn't go THAT far," Gooey's brother replied. "But I DO think we're on good terms right now."

Right...Now that his brother was awake, there was something Gooey needed to do. He looked around a bit trying to remember what it was.

"Is something wrong?"

"Uh..." Gooey kept looking around until he finally noticed the medicine in the room. He started making a bitter face as he recalled how bitter it tasted...Nonetheless, he took the medicine off of the side table and started pouring it into the spoon.

"Er...Kirby wanted to give you this stuff, it's supposed to help you get better." Gooey said. While offering the medicine to his brother. He opened his jagged mouth and drank it...Wait, did Gooey's brother always have a mouth?

...Then again, Gooey didn't have a mouth either when he first came to Popstar, so he probably didn't need to think about it.

"By the way, where's Kirby?" Gooey asked.

"He said he wanted to make soup," Gooey's brother replied. "He said something about it making me feel better...but if I don't like it, then you can have it!"

It seemed as if Gooey's brother was feeling better, already. But even then, the least he could do was keep him company. After all, they still had plenty of catching up to do.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's more focused on Dedede and Dark Matter this time around.
> 
> I know that sounds bad, but it'll be fine...maybe.

Possession was a lot like sleep paralysis. You're aware of your surroundings, but you can't speak or move on your own.

...But unlike sleep paralysis, the demon at the end of the bed is the one controlling your body.

It's a good thing King Dedede was a penguin, or he'd be shivering from the cold of Iceberg's winds. But after that black cloud formed in the sky earlier, it seemed like everyone had gone crazy. If Dedede had to guess, this was probably Zero's doing.

Of course, Dedede had gotten possessed by the same Dark Matter that possessed him last time, that one sibling Gooey once spoke very highly about before the last incident. Normally, this Dark Matter would've lashed out at those that got too close to him, including the Waddle Dees that continued to serve Dedede despite the Dark Matter's ruse. But this time, his mind was...quiet. Was it because his creator was nearby?

"So...aren't you gonna say anything?" Dedede thought, though he couldn't speak. "'Cause for someone that acted out last time, you have a whole lotta nerve coming back!"

There was silence, of course Dark Matter didn't want to talk...though perhaps if Dedede pushed a little further, he might get something.

"So why'd you come back, anyway? Was the last beating from Kirby not enough? Because if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're a glutton for punishment."

"Do you really think I'd WANT to be here?" Dark Matter finally snapped. "Do you think I want to defend Lord Zero from that Puffball?"

"...So why can't you just go home?" Dedede asked bluntly. "Why do this if you don't wanna do it?"

"As a king, I thought that YOU of all people would understand!" Dark Matter replied. "But I guess you're just too stupid."

"Whaddaya mean? Understand WHAT!?"

"You must understand that...I MUST do what Lord Zero wishes." Dark Matter said firmly while gripping the hammer in his hands. "Even if it means the end of my life."

"Wha- Wait, you're not actually going to KILL yourself trying to protect that thing, are you?"

"That 'thing' is my creator, and if I must die, then I'd rather die following Lord Zero's wish."

Dedede couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sure...as a King, Dedede appreciated the sentiment when any of his subjects said something similar, but it didn't mean he actually WANTED them to die...especially not for his sake.

But this time, it didn't seem like Dark Matter was doing this willingly. If Dedede didn't know any better, he'd say that Dark Matter was genuinely scared of his creator.

...Perhaps he was as scared of Zero as Gooey was?

* * *

It was early in the morning when Dark Matter woke up. And of course, Kirby just HAD to tell Dedede as soon as he could...even if Dedede himself was barely even awake. But if Dark Matter wasn't going to wake up today, he probably wasn't going to wake up at all. It was always either Kirby or Gooey watching over him, though Bandana Waddle Dee has also checked in on them whenever he could.

But everyone else? Dedede was pretty sure they were still terrified of Dark Matter...Not that he could blame them, though perhaps it wouldn't hurt to check on him again...would it?

It was late at night. If any of the Waddle Dees hadn't gone to bed at this point, they would be patrolling the castle for any threats...granted, a few Waddle Dees at night aren't going to protect anybody from getting possesed, corrupted or kidnapped by some snobby kid, but it was the thought that counted.

When Dedede went to the guest room, he could see that Kirby and Gooey were sleeping soundly...however, Dark Matter was nowhere to be found. Surely, he couldn't have left the castle, already. Dedede closed the door and began to think...

"Sire!" A Waddle Dee called out, which caught the penguin's attention. "Perfect timing, I was about to ask where Dark Matter went."

"I...we found him sitting in the balcony upstairs," The Waddle Dee explained. "He was just...sitting there and staring at the moon."

So that's where he was hiding...Dedede patted the Waddle Dee on the head as he ran upstairs. Sure enough, he spotted Dark Matter on balcony. It looked like he had the strength to change forms again, as he ressembled the swordsman that once attacked Popstar a few years ago. But instead of fighting, he was sitting at a table with his cloak wrapped around him. For some reason, he didn't have his mask on...perhaps he lost it somewhere underground?

"You know you're just gonna make yourself sicker by bein' out here, right?" Dedede asked sternly, which startled Dark Matter.

"I-I...for-forgive me," Dark Matter replied, it looked like he was shaking. "I-I just...I need...I need to be alone right now."

"But aren't you happy to see your brother, again?"

"I-I am...b-but I...I just...I h-have a lot on m-my mind r-right now."

"Well do you mind comin' back in?" Dedede asked sternly. "I'll grab ya somethin' that's easy on the stomach!"

"...L-like what, exactly?"

"I'll, uh...I'll heat up some of that soup if you want."

Dark Matter thought it over for a moment. He nodded as he started to hover (though he struggled a bit).

"Kirby t-told me it would m-make me feel better...I b-believe it's working."

"Hey, just be glad he's not smoochin' ya instead."

"E-excuse me?"

"...Don't worry about it."

* * *

After the duo went back inside, Dedede had started heating up the soup. As much as he hated to admit it, Kirby was actually a pretty good cook even without using any of his abilities. Dedede could cook a few easy things, though soup was not one of them.

Regardless, he brought the heated soup into the dining room and handed one of the bowls over to Dark Matter, who grabbed a spoon with an invisible hand and started eating.

"So if you don't mind me askin', what's on your mind right now?"

"...Forgive me, but...I can't help but compare you to Lord Zero."

"You really think I'm anything like him?" Dedede asked bitterly.

"Er...you have the wrong idea," Dark Matter replied. "What I mean is, you're someone that's always watching over his creations."

"...Do you seriously think I CREATED the Waddle Dees?"

"...But you're their leader, aren't you?"

"That doesn't mean I created them," Dedede replied. "But I think I get what you're trying to say. Zero was kind of like a dad to you, right?"

"...He did raise me, yes."

"Huh...But when I was talked to Gooey about this, he said YOU were like his dad."

"That is because I raised him before he came here." Dark Matter explained as he continued to eat his soup. "You see, whenever Lord Zero created more of us Dark Matter, it was usually up to the elder siblings to raise the younger ones. But when there's a sibling nobody wanted to raise, Lord Zero would have to watch over them instead."

"...And nobody else wanted you?" Dedede asked bluntly. Dark Matter stopped eating, he began to look away. "Can we...talk about something else?"

"Right...sorry," Dedede said while rubbing the back of his head. "Anything else you wanna talk about?"

"...Gooey told me that Kirby was the one that destroyed a part of the moon, is that true?"

"Well, yeah...but not intentionally."

"Because he fought with a being called Nightmare, yes?"

"Yep, and it's cause Nightmare tried to corrupt the Fountain of Dreams. You know what that is, right?"

"I've heard of its name, but we did not have something like that on Dark Star."

"Well basically, what it does is that it gives everyone good dreams. On top of the fountain is a thing called the Star Rod, which helps spread those dreams. Nightmare didn't like this, so he tried to corrupt the fountain. I had to break the Star Rod before that happened, but the downside to that is nobody could dream."

"I see...and your solution was to have Kirby fight Nightmare by himself?"

"Er...Kirby and I weren't on the best terms back then, " Dedede admitted. "I was tryin' to find out how we were gonna get rid of Nightmare, and my first solution was to get Meta Knight to help out. You know who Meta Knight is, right?"

"He's..." The name sounded familiar to Dark Matter, but it seemed like he had trouble applying a face onto him...though to be fair, Meta Knight never liked showing his face to begin with.

"Have you seen the other Puffball with a mask on?"

"...Actually, I think I know who you're talking about now." Dark Matter replied. "The blue one, yes?"

"Yep, that's him," Dedede replied. "And he agreed to hold onto a piece of the Star Rod, but looking back he probably wanted to train Kirby."

"So did Kirby agree to help you, despite your rivalry?" Dark Matter asked, tilting his head. Dedede shook his head. "Actually...Kirby thought I broke the Star Rod just to be a jerk, he ran off and started fixin' it before I could explain myself. I don't entirely blame the kid, 'cause like I said we weren't on great terms. But once he fixed the rod anyway and let Nightmare go. I literally had to throw him out there just to get to Nightmare."

"So then, Kirby fought Nightmare, and that caused a chunk of the moon to go missing...correct?"

"Yep...Of course, Meta Knight thought that whole incident never should've happened, but that's a story for another time."

Dark Matter had gone silent for another moment, he stared at the ceiling as he tried to think.

"When I can...I would like to visit the Fountain of Dreams," Dark Matter said with a hint of wonder in his voice. "I don't want to cause trouble, but for such a magical place to exist, I would love to see it with my own eye."

Once Dark Matter realized how excited he started to sound, he paused for a moment before lifting himself from the chair. "F-forgive me, I'll be going to bed, now."

...He didn't even finish his soup, and yet he was already going back to bed. Ah well, more soup for Dedede.

Still, he had to admit. Talking to Dark Matter was like talking to a child. Perhaps he was forced to repress any emotions he had whenever he was around Zero? And since he was also forced to give up Gooey back then, it was no wonder he took his anger out on Popstar.

Of course, now that Dedede thought about it...Dark Matter wasn't the only one who lost his leader and regretted his actions. But while Dark Matter lost a dad, a more recent friend of Dedede's lost a close friend (or so he claims). And fortunately for Dedede, his newer friend was supposed to be here tomorrow. Perhaps if he met Dark Matter, they'd become friends as well?

It was worth a try. Maybe then, Dark Matter could have another person to rely on should something ever happen to Dedede again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this Chapter, a new friend appears.

The next morning, Gooey was already leaving the bedroom. His brother trailed behind him, and though he felt much better than he did yesterday, he still struggled to float.

"Are you OK?"

"...I'll be fine," Gooey's brother replied as he continued to hover. The duo started making their way downstairs. Along the way, some of the Waddle Dees greeted Gooey with a wave.

"So where are we going?" Dark Matter asked.

"I wanted to show you where me and Kirby live," Gooey replied. "It's close to Tanza's home!"

"And who is Tanza?"

"...Wait, no..." Gooey tried to think a bit more carefully. "Our home is next to the...Dreamstalk? Yeah, the Dreamstalk!"

"You mean that plant that touches the heavens?"

"Yeah, that!"

Admittedly, if it weren't for the Dreamstalk Gooey would have a much harder time getting home. Sometimes Dedede or one of the Animal Friends would take him in for the night if he ever got lost, but they always help him get back home the next morning. As for the Dreamstalk incident, all Gooey knew about it were things that Kirby and Dedede had told him. Long-story short, they ended up with a new friend named Tanza.

Speaking of which, as soon as Gooey and his brother made it out of the castle, Kirby was following Tanza right now. He was a spider-like creature with six floating hands, two horns, and several eyes poking out of his silver hair. Gooey's brother grimaced, as multiple eyes were considered hideous to their kind.

"Oh...And who is this, a new friend?" Tanza asked Kirby as he spotted the elder Dark Matter behind Gooey.

"Kinda," Kirby replied. "He's actually Gooey's brother."

"Which one? The one that you fought twice?"

"Yep...that one."

Gooey's brother looked away in shame, he didn't want to cause any trouble it seemed.

"Oh! Sorry, perhaps I shouldn't have said something," Tanza said while smiling sheepishly. "My name is Taranza. I would love to stay and chat a bit more, but I have some important business to attend to."

...OK, so his name wasn't actually Tanza, but he never seemed to mind Gooey referring to him that way. Regardless, he floated into the castle without another word. Kirby looked at Gooey with a confused look. "Where are you guys going?"

"I was gonna show Brother our house."

"OK, just make sure you don't tire yourselves out," Kirby replied. He looked at Gooey's brother and smiled. "If you DO get tired, you can sleep on my bed if you want."

"I'll...keep that in mind," Dark Matter replied as he looked in the direction Taranza had flown off to. As Kirby headed back into the castle, Gooey continued to lead his brother towards the Dreamstalk.

"I hate to say it, but that creature rubs me the wrong way," Gooey's brother quietly admitted. Gooey shrugged in response. "I know Tanza's kinda snobby, but he's really nice when you get to know him."

With that said, the duo continued to move along the road. There weren't many creatures out here today, save for the occasional bird or Waddle Dee, perhaps everyone was still scared of Gooey's brother? Not that he was trying to hurt anyone. Not anymore, at least. But once the duo was close enough to the Dreamstalk, they were able to spot Kirby's house not too far from it. Although Gooey was used to the small size of the house, his brother had to duck in order to get through the door.

"This is...more of a nest than a house," Gooey's brother said. "Are you sure we're in the right spot?"

"Yeah, it's Kirby's house," Gooey replied. "It's small, but I like it here."

"So...what do you do here, exactly?"

"Uh...we sleep here, we play games here...we do a lotta stuff, really!" Gooey replied as he crawled under the bed. "There's also stuff to draw with if you wanna draw."

"There's only one bed and a fire place here...and not much else."

"Yeah, but I dun mind." Gooey replied as took out some crayons and a sketchbook. "But sometimes it gets really cold, and then I gotta sleep next to the fire place."

Dark Matter or not, Gooey still liked to think of Kirby as his brother. At the very least, he treated Gooey with as much kindness as his brother once did back home. He just hoped that his brother wasn't too jealous of Kirby.

Gooey's brother let out a yawn, he crawled onto the bed as he shifted into Blob form and curled up under the covers. Kirby DID say he could use the bed if he got tired, after all.

Gooey was happy to know that his brother was coming out of his shell. There were so many places to get, and so many people to meet...he even got to meet Taranza before heading over here, so they were at a good start. Still, Gooey wasn't sure how everyone else would react. Meta Knight might think he was up to no good, Chuchu and Pitch would probably attack him, and he wasn't sure what everyone else would think.

Maybe it was better to take baby steps with this sort of thing? Besides, Gooey was pretty overwhelmed when he met Kirby and his friends the first time, so he'd imagine hid brother would feel the same way if he met everyone at once.

* * *

Later that day, Gooey was drawing something on the floor while his brother watched from under the blanket. He was curious, as Gooey drew several blobs on the paper.

"What are those supposed to be, exactly?"

"Oh, they're supposed to be flowers!" Gooey said. "I know they look bad, but Ado-line says I need to keep drawing if I'm gonna get better at it."

"I never said they looked bad, they're just-"

Before Gooey's brother could finish his sentence, Kirby opened the door. He walked inside with Taranza, two of his hands were clasped together while the rest his under his cape.

"Hi, Gooey!" Kirby greeted. Gooey waved back in response. Meanwhile, Taranza was looking around. "Is that other friend of yours here? I don't see him, anywhere."

Gooey's brother crawled out of bed and shifted forms, which startled Taranza.

"...Forgive me," Gooey's brother said. "I'm more comfortable in Blade form, but I promise I will not harm you."

"I see..." Taranza replied. "Well, King Dedede has asked me to introduce myself to you. I know we've met back at the castle, but let's start over." He extended one of his hands. "I'm Taranza, and you are..."

"I...I don't have a true name, but many refer to me as Dark Matter." Gooey's brother said as he shook Taranza's hand. Taranza couldn't help but frown. "And why is that?"

"A lot of us dun have names," Gooey replied. "I didn't have one either until Nago gave me one."

"Perhaps we could come up with something right now, then?" Taranza offered.

"That's a great idea!" Kirby said excitedly. "How about 'Spike'?"

"Er...It's not that I don't like it, but...could we think of something else?"

"Hm...what do you think we should call him, Gooey?"

"Why dun we all just call him 'Brother'!" Gooey said happily.

"You can continue to call me 'Brother', but I'm not sure I want everyone else to call me that."

Gooey huffed bitterly as he sank into the ground, his brother brought his cloak over him as a way to "pet" him.

With Kirby and Gooey unsure of what to think, Taranza couldn't help but speak up. "Well, this one is pretty on the nose...But how about 'Blade'? After all, that's what you call the form you're comfortable in, right?"

Gooey seemed to like the name, but he was curious to know what his brother thought. At first, he thought that his brother didn't like the name, but after a moment he gave Taranza a light nod. "Very well, Blade it is then."

"Great! it's very nice to meet you. Blade!" Taranza said happily. "My home is high above the Dreamstalk, but I'll be staying with another friend for a little while. So you may see me at Dedede's castle from time to time."

"In that case, I'll look forward to seeing you."

Blade didn't say anything, but Gooey could tell that he was pretty happy. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to introduce him to some of Gooey's other friends after all? Maybe he'll enjoy sword fighting with Meta Knight? Or maybe he'll enjoy spending time with the Animal Friends? It didn't matter as long as his brother was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will mention really quick that Dedede would still call him "Dark Matter", and Gooey will still call him "Brother". Not out of disrespect, but to Gooey it'd be like calling your mom or dad by name.
> 
> "But Zephyr, there's already a Blade." Yeah, but two people can have the same name.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So thinking on it a little more, I feel like Dark Matter's "name" would change depending on the perspective. (i.e.: Taranza calling him "Blade", Gooey calling him "Brother", etc.).
> 
> Trust me, I do have my reasons.

It had been a while, but for once Gooey and Kirby were able to sleep in their own bed. It was admittedly kind of strange not to wake up with Brother beside either of them, it reminded Gooey of when he woke up on Popstar for the first time. He couldn't remember every detail that happened that day, but he remembered that he missed his brother an awful lot back then.

Of course...His brother was staying at Dedede's castle, so Gooey could see him whenever he wanted...but he still missed him.

"Good morning, Gooey..." Kirby said as he sat up and started rubbing one of his eyes.

"Morning, Kirby!" Gooey replied. "What are we doing, today?"

"I was thinking that we could go fishing."

"Could we invite Brother over?"

"I dunno..." Kirby said while thinking. "I think we should leave him be for today."

"Aw, but he dun like being alone."

"He's not alone, though" Kirby said. "He's got Dedede and the Waddle Dees watching over him right now, plus Taranza's probably there talking to Dedede about politics or something."

"Oh yeah."

"Uh...Maybe we can invite him to something else?" Kirby suggested. "Chuchu said she wanted to have a picnic soon."

"Are you sure about this?" Gooey asked. "'Cause Chuchu can get pretty mean, sometimes."

"I'm sure it'll be fine~!" Kirby replied. He pulled a cell phone out of his mouth and started to dialing Chuchu's number. Gooey couldn't help but watch in anticipation.

"Hello? Chuchu? It's Kirby."

"Uh...No reason. Listen, do you think it'd be all right if we brought someone over?"

"We wanted to know if we could bring Dark Matter over, it's a long story..."

"Really? OK, I'll see you later then."

Kirby hung up the phone before he threw it back into his mouth. Gooey gave him a curious look. "What did she say?"

"She said we can bring Blade with us, but she also said we'd have to explain everything when we get there."

"Oh, I can do that!" Gooey said happily. "But do you think she'll believe me?"

"I'm sure she will," Kirby replied as he patted Gooey's back. "Besides, if she's willing to let him join us, then I'm sure she'll hear what we have to say."

Knowing that Chuchu was willing to give Brother a chance as well, Gooey felt a weight lift from his nonexistent shoulders. He was also really happy that Kirby was so willing to help Brother as well.

Gooey wanted to find a way to thank Kirby properly. But for now, the best he could do was accompany him on his fishing trip.

* * *

Admittedly, it was strange not having Kirby or Gooey by his side today, but Dark Matter had no need to bother them today.

He was still curled up in bed, he found that he liked sleeping under a soft pile of blankets rather than sleeping on dirt and grass. It wasn't exactly the same, but it reminded him of when he used to sleep by Lord Zero's side when he was younger.

Gooey understandably never liked to be near Lord Zero for very long, Although Lord Zero would allow his creations to huddle against him for warmth, he never had the kind of warmth one would find on Popstar. He was still trying to process the fact that he had an actual name. He was Blade to Taranza and Kirby...but here, he was still Dark Matter.

Admittedly, he didn't mind being called one or the other. but since he was still Dark Matter to most of Dream Land, he wondered if others would still see him as a threat by being called that.

There was a knock at the door, Dark Matter crawled out of the blankets for a moment.

"Hey, you still mopin' in there?" Dedede asked as he opened the door a crack. Dark Matter groaned as he threw the blankets over himself. "There's no point in me going out there right now."

"Sure there is," Dedede argued. "You could properly introduce yourselves to the Waddle Dees, plus Taranza's gonna be here later today."

"In that case, I'll wait for Taranza to come over."

Dedede grumbled as walked over and yanked the blankets off of Dark Matter. "Get outta bed! NOW!"

Dark Matter laid there with a startled look on his face. Like Lord Zero, Dedede could be quite demanding whenever he wanted to. It was especially surprising, considering what had happened in the past.

...Perhaps he might even attack Dark Matter for going against his wishes? It was probably best to play it safe.

"Fine, but I don't think the Waddle Dees are going to want me anywhere near them."

"I'm sure they will, you just gotta let them give you a chance."

Dark Matter crawled out of bed and started hovering, he shifted into Blade form like usual. There was still a scab on his side from when he was stabbed before, but it looked like he was healing pretty well. Although Dark Matter was more comfortable while in this Form, he couldn't help but wonder if his spines made anyone uneasy. Besides...Gooey didn't have spines, and yet everyone adored him.

...Then again, maybe he was overthinking this? Everyone liked hedgehogs and they had spines.

As Dedede headed over to the throne room, Dark Matter started making his way over to the kitchen. Maybe he'll find someone there? Sure enough, he found two Waddle Dees and a Waddle Doo sitting at the table. One of the Waddle Dees had a bandana on his head. From the looks of it, he appeared to be telling stories.

"So Kirby, Rick, Adeleine and I were just trying to grab some apples to make apple pie with, and everything was going pretty well until we heard Kirby screaming. I was ready to go after whoever was attacking him...but it turned out he almost ate an apple with a caterpillar inside."

"Oh gees!"

"Did you still get to make the pie?" Waddle Doo asked. The Waddle Dee with the bandana shook his head. "He didn't want anything to do with apples after that, so we made a pizza instead."

"Huh...well, what do you think of all of this?" Waddle Doo asked as he turned to face Dark Matter.

"I...don't know." Dark Matter nearly fell over, he hadn't expected them to treat him like one of their own. At best, he would've expected them to shoo him away.

...But since he was still here, he may as well go along with what they were going.

"What I want to know is what happened to the apples."

"Oh, we gave them all to Gooey." Bandana Waddle Dee replied. "He isn't as bothered by caterpillars like Kirby is."

That made sense...if Gooey could eat something as gross as a mushroom, then a caterpillar wouldn't be too big of a deal for him.

"What else does Gooey like to eat?"

"Well...he likes to eat raw fish," said the other Waddle Dee. "He always spits out the bones, though."

"Say, what do YOU like to eat, Dark Matter?" asked Bandana Waddle Dee.

"I don't eat much," Dark Matter replied. In fact, the only thing he could think of was soup. And even then, he only ate it to get his strength back.

"Well, maybe you could join us for dinner later?" Waddle Doo offered. 

"...And you're OK with this?" Dark Matter asked, confused.

"Of course," Waddle Doo replied. "If you're gonna stay here, you may as well eat with us too."

He hadn't actually thought about it, but he did like staying here at Dedede's castle. Plus, it seemed like some of the Waddle Dees were getting used to having him around. Either that or Dedede told them to be nice.

Still, it seemed that he was Blade to some and Dark Matter to others...And he was perfectly fine with that. Although a name was a sign of respect to most Dark Matter, he was still the same one in the end.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taranza has a secret, also there's even more new friends for Dark Matter to meet.

"If you don't mind me asking...what is it that you and Dedede have been talking about these past few days?"

It was a beautiful day today, Dark Matter was sitting under a tree with Taranza sitting on one of the branches. He had a pink flower in his hands, it looked like one of the flowers growing out of the Dreamstalk.

"Ah well...Nothing really," Taranza replied. "We've just been sharing some advice on how to improve relations with both our kingdoms."

"So you're a king!?" Dark Matter asked before shaking his head. "...Forgive me, I shouldn't be having such outbursts like this."

"It's fine, Blade!" Taranza said reassuringly. "But to tell you the truth, even I don't believe it myself sometimes."

"Why not?"

"It's...a bit of a sore topic," Taranza said while staring into the flower in his hands. "I'll tell you when I'm ready."

Ah, so Taranza also had his fair share of secrets. They hadn't been friends for long, so it was understandable. Besides, Dark Matter wasn't quite ready to talk about his issues regarding Lord Zero or his siblings...and not just with Taranza, but with Kirby and Dedede as well.

"So if you are a king, can you create anything?"

"I can create webs, but that's about it."

"So you can't create life?"

"What? No!" Taranza said with a confused look on his face. "Why would you ask such a strange question."

"Because where I'm from, my leader is also my creator." Dark Matter replied. "Gooey was also created by him, you know."

"Ah...so your kind are more like wasps." Taranza said with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Harsh on the outside, but very loyal to your queen...unless you're Gooey. How exactly did he come to Popstar, anyway?"

"He was banished," Dark Matter said bluntly. "Lord Zero thought he was too defective."

"Oh, speak of the devil!"

Hovering along the dirt road was Gooey, he was already making his way over to the duo with his strange (albeit cute) expression that he normally had.

"Brother!" Gooey yelled excitedly. "Me and Kirby wanted to know if you'd join us for a picnic."

"...Maybe, is it only going to be us?"

"No, some other friends are gonna be there too." Gooey replied. "But they're OK with you coming over, I promise."

Dark Matter thought it over for a moment. He liked the idea of having even more friends, but he wasn't sure if it was such a good idea. He looked at Taranza. "Would you like to join us?"

"Uh..." Taranza thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, I think I'll pass this time around."

Gooey frowned before turning his attention towards his brother. "That's OK, we've still got friends for you to meet!"

Dark Matter glanced nervously at Taranza, as he worried that Gooey's friends might not accept him. But if Dedede's servants are willing to accept him, then perhaps Gooey's other friends will too.

With that said, the duo bid farewell to Taranza before heading off. All Dark Matter could hope for was that things go well with these friends.

* * *

Dark Matter followed Gooey into a forest. Although there were many trees, there was so much sunlight here that it was blinding. It was moments like these that Dark Matter wished he still had his mask...

Regardless, Gooey had lead him to a big apple tree. Sitting under the tree was Kirby and a few of his other friends. There were two octopi, one was pink and the other was yellow. There was also a cat and an owl sitting beside Kirby. They were sitting on a blanket covered in food.

The pink octopus was the first to notice Dark Matter's presence, she jumped in surprise as she stayed low to the ground. "You...weren't kidding when you said you wanted to invite Dark Matter over, huh?"

The others began to turn their attention to Dark Matter. He could FEEL their discomfort, which made him uncomfortable too...Except for the yellow octopus, they didn't seem too bothered by him.

"Well, Kirby said he was trying to be better, right?" asked the yellow octopus. "I think we should all give him a chance, too."

"Er...Nyupun's right," replied the owl. "Why else would Kirby want him over?"

"He's...more purple than I remember," said the cat. "It's kind of like how Gooey turned blue."

"That was...after Lord Zero had died," Dark Matter said while wrapping his cloak around himself. "But I'd rather talk about something else."

There was an uncomfortable silence within the group, perhaps they felt bad about that whole situation as well? After a moment, Kirby decided to speak up.

"Anyway, it's all in the past. So how about we start over and introduce ourselves."

"Yeah, you're right!" said the pink octopus. "I'm Chuchu, and that's Nyupun," she said while pointing to the yellow octopus.

"My name is Coo," said the owl.

"And I'm Nago," said the cat. Dark Matter tilted his head. "So YOU must be the one that gave Gooey his name."

"Well...yeah, but that was because we didn't know what to call him back then."

"Aren't you gonna introduce yourself, Brother?" Gooey asked, which earned him a strange look from his brother. Regardless, he decided to play along.

"I go by either Dark Matter or Blade, either one works fine."

"Ah, so you're a bit like Bandana Waddle Dee in that regard," Coo said with amusement. Dark Matter tilted his head, "I don't understand."

"Waddle Dees usually don't have names, either." Kirby replied. "Waddle Dee himself got his name after helping us fight another friend."

"...Would you care to tell me about that?"

"I'd rather hear the story about how you and Meta Knight fought over a tomato." Chuchu said with a mischievous look, Kirby scowled in response. "He had it coming!"

Despite their initial discomfort, it seemed like everyone had gone back to being their usual selves. It seemed that once again, things were going well...or perhaps a little TOO well. Dark Matter could only hope for the best right now.

* * *

Later that day, Kirby and Gooey were playing tag with the animals. Dark Matter was sitting against the apple tree with his cloak still wrapped around him. He was fairly content with being on his own for the time being.

Right now, Nago was "it". He tried to pounce and swat at his friends like a cat normally would when playing. He managed to tackle Gooey, but he also managed to knock him into the tree. He nearly hit Dark Matter.

"S-Sorry, everyone!" Nago said with his head down. Gooey sat up and shook himself as if nothing had happened, despite the bruise on his back. He looked up at Dark Matter with a curious look. "Do you wanna play?"

"I'd rather not."

"But it's a lotta fun."

"But you were smacked against the tree."

Before Gooey could argue further, an apple had fallen onto Dark Matter's head. When the duo looked at the tree, the tree was looking right back at them.

"I believe that means you're 'it', now."

Dark Matter gave the tree a bitter look. "...Have you been watching us the entire time?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp...things are going just fine so far...it'd be a shame if someone ruined it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone jumps to conclusions as he attacks Dark Matter out of nowhere.

It was a warm and humid day today, Gooey was curled up under his brother's cloak as he looked up at the clouds. A yawn even managed to escape from his jagged mouth. Kirby sat under his cloak as well, he playfully bounced his feet on the ground.

Today seemed like it'd be a nice day, at least until the rain starts. But there was something that Gooey was more worried about than the rain. For some reason, he could feel anger coming from somewhere. It couldn't have been from anyone that Brother had met so far, so who would be this angry about him being here?

Then again...most of Dream Land would probably want Brother dead after what he'd done.

"Is something wrong, Gooey?"

"...You can feel it too, can't you?" Gooey asked. "Dun you think we're being watched?"

"I'm aware that we're being watched," Brother had said as he turned his attention to some nearby shrubs.

"Watched by what?" Kirby asked. Suddenly, Gooey's Brother swiftly turned around and pulled out his sword. It clashed with another sword that a certain other Puffball was using.

"What are you doing!?" Kirby yelled in shock. The puffball didn't respond as he continued to attack Brother. Gooey looked around as he tried to think of a solution. Maybe they could knock the puffball's mask off? That always got him to stop fighting.

"Kirby, we gotta break off his mask!" Gooey yelled, Kirby nodded in agreement. "Good thinking, Gooey!"

With that said, Kirby inhaled Gooey and spat him out at the direction of the two swordsmen. While in the air, Gooey had turned himself into stone. He didn't need the copy ability to do so, as he hoped that it would be enough.

At this point, Brother's back had slammed against the ground, his sword flew out of his nonexistent hand. The puffball flew into the air with bat-like wings, he was about to deliver the final blow when Gooey smacked against him. The Puffball landed onto the floor with his mask bouncing off of his face.

"Meta Knight, stop!" Kirby yelled. "He's on our side, now!"

"I find that hard to believe," Meta Knight said bitterly. He covered his face with one of his wings. "He's knocked me out a few times before, but I'm not letting him attack Dream Land this time!"

"I-I know I was awful person before, but-but I'm trying to fix that!" Brother stuttered while trying to sit up. His eye widened as Meta Knight flew over and pointed his sword towards him, the tip of his sword was inches away from his eye.

"You say that, but do you really MEAN that!?" Meta Knight said, almost yelling. "Now give me ONE good reason why I shouldn't kill you right here, right now!"

Gooey changed back to normal as he started to panic. If knocking Meta Knight's mask wasn't going to stop him, what was?

"Heads up, Gooey!" Kirby yelled. Gooey barely had time to react as Kirby threw his brother's sword towards him. He held onto his brother's sword with his tongue as he tried to attack Meta Knight from behind. As expected, the Puffball turned around and struck back, he managed to knock Gooey a few feet away from him.

"Stop it, Meta Knight!" Gooey yelled angrily. "You're scaring Brother!"

"You expect me to think that someone like him feels scared after the damage he's done last time?"

"YOU'RE DAMAGING HIM RIGHT NOW!"

Gooey didn't fully understand what he'd said, but he'd hoped that he got his point across regardless. Meta Knight turned around quickly, only to lower his wings in shame. Kirby was standing in from of Brother, who was shaking like a leaf. He looked as if he'd narrowly escaped death.

"Ah...perhaps I might've jumped to conclusions a little too quickly." Meta Knight said quietly. Kirby tugged on Brother's cloak. "Come on, let's get you home."

Brother nodded, though he kept his eye on Meta Knight as if he expected the puffball to kill him with his back turned. As the duo left, Gooey continued to glare at Meta Knight. "Why'd you gotta do that? Kirby told you he was on our side."

"Right, I see that now." Meta Knight said as he picked up his mask and placed it back over his face. "It doesn't look like a simple apology's going to fix this, either."

"Then why not just be nice to him?" Gooey asked. "He's still goin' back to Dedede's Castle right now if you wanna talk."

"I think it might be best if I left him alone for now," Meta Knight replied. "But for a swordsman that attempted to take over Popstar, he's not very good with a sword."

"That's cause he lost his mask!" Gooey said, which earned him a confused look. "He has a mask?"

"Yeah, but that mask helps with vision or something!" Gooey replied. "It's like...he's not as good with his sword if he doesn't have it on."

"...Do you know where it might be?"

"Uh..." Gooey paused for a moment as he tried to think. "Last time he had it was underground."

"Very well, then I'll go look for it."

Before Gooey could protest, Meta Knight expanded his wings and started flying.

...Speaking of returning things, Gooey still had Brother's sword. It was probably a good idea to give it back. Although given what happened with Meta Knight and his sword, it might not be such a good idea...for now, at least.

Maybe he could help Meta Knight, instead? Although the last thing Gooey wanted was to get lost again, he should be fine as long as he was with Meta Knight.

* * *

As Gooey and Meta Knight took off, Dark Matter was following Kirby back to the castle. Kirby tried to grab onto his cloak, but Dark Matter yanked it away as he wrapped it around himself.

"...Sorry, I'd rather not be touched right now."

"I wasn't even touching you," Kirby replied. "But I get it."

He wasn't trying to be rude to Kirby, he knew that Kirby was trying to protect him back there...and yet, that image of Kirby with the rainbow sword wouldn't leave his head. He could remember all the cuts and gashes that cursed sword would give him, he also remembered how he had to flee Popstar within an inch of his life. It may have been a different puffball with a different sword, but that image still wouldn't leave his head.

...Were there tears coming out of his eye? Dark Matter stopped himself for a moment as he wiped them away. Dedede may not be Lord Zero, but he'd probably berate him if he saw him crying.

"Is something wrong?" Kirby asked. Dark Matter shook his head in response. "I'm fine."

"...It's OK to cry, you know." Kirby replied. Dark Matter glared at him. "There was something in my eye, I wasn't crying!"

"If you say so," Kirby replied with a shrug. "But if you keep holding back, then there's gonna be a point where you can't hold onto anything anymore."

"...I'll be fine."

Or at least Dark Matter hoped he would be. That encounter with Meta Knight was an awful one, and he hoped he'd never have another encounter like that again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it doesn't look like Dark Matter and Meta Knight are going to be friends...at least for now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gooey and Meta Knight retrieve Dark Matter's mask.

Finally, Kirby and Dark Matter had returned to the castle. Dark Matter jumped as the first thing he heard was Dedede yelling at the Waddle Dees. When they entered the throne room, they could see Dedede and two Waddle Dees standing over some broken tea cups. There was some tea spilled on the carpet.

"Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to come back" Dark Matter asked quietly. Unfortunately for him, he managed to catch Dedede's attention. The King's face shifted from an angry one to a worried one.

"What's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Meta Knight attacked him outta nowhere," Kirby explained. "He thought that Dark Matter was up to no good."

"...Then I guess we'll have to have a little talk with Meta Knight, huh?" Dedede asked as his attention shifted towards Dark Matter. "In the meantime, why don't you take a nap or a bath or something to calm your nerves?"

"...Is that allowed?"

"You live here, don'cha?"

"I...Yes, sire!"

With that said, Dark Matter started floating out of the throne room. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to sleep for a bit? Besides, he would sleep whenever he was stressed back on Dark Star, so it shouldn't be any different here.

Kirby let out a yawn as he followed Dark Matter, it seemed that the fight tired him out, too...though for a completely different reason. Besides, Kirby was just a child. They needed sleep too, after all.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gooey had managed to catch up with Meta Knight. Once Meta Knight was near the underground entrance, he retracted his wings and landed. He was shocked when he saw Gooey land right next to him.

"You know you don't have to come with me, right?"

"But I wanna help!" Gooey said while proudly waving his brother's sword around. Meta Knight shook his head. "Look, I understand that this is your brother, but I was the one that attacked him for no reason."

"But Brother got really sick when we got outta there, I dun want the same thing to happen to you!"

"...You're far too kind for your own good," Meta Knight said bluntly as he hopped underground. "If you think you can keep up with me, go ahead!"

Gooey shrugged as he hopped in after Meta Knight, they quickly flew through the caverns and made their way into the underground jungle. It wasn't any different compared to the last time Gooey came down here, though finding his brother's mask was going to be like finding a needle in a hay stack...Which he could use a nap in right now.

But now wasn't the time to think of naps, he tried to think of where to look next. Last time Brother had that mask was when they were both in the underground lake, but other than that Gooey wasn't sure where else he was supposed to go.

Meta Knight hovered close to the river, he managed to pick up something shiny.

"This is your brother's mask, correct?" Meta Knight asked as he lifted it over himself. It was a metallic mask with a black lens...yep, it was Brother's mask all right.

"Hold on a second!" yelled a voice as a snake-like creature leapt out of the water. It took the mask out of Meta Knight's hands and held it close to his chest. Gooey had seen these things before, they were called a Dribble, right?

...No wait, it's called a Driblee.

"You can't just take my mask and run off with it!" the Driblee said harshly. "How'd you like it if someone took off with your stuff?"

"B-But it's my brother's mask!" Gooey explained.

"Well, it's his own fault for losing it!" The Driblee replied in a snarky tone. He put the mask over his face before swimming off. Gooey huffed bitterly as the grip on his brother's sword tightened. Meta Knight flew over to him and patted him on the back. "Calm down, attacking him would make you just as bad as I was before."

...Right, it wouldn't be a good idea to attack them out of nowhere. Gooey looked at Meta Knight with a curious look. "What do we do, now?"

Meta Knight thought for a moment before an idea popped into his head, he looked at Gooey with a stern expression. "I have an idea, but I don't want you to say ANYTHING! Do you promise?"

"Yes, sir!" Gooey said without question. With that said, Meta Knight fluttered over to the Driblee. "Excuse me, may I speak to you for a moment?"

"If it's about my mask, then NO!" the Driblee said sternly. Meta Knight sighed. "Look, my friend's older brother really needs that mask, so I'd appreciate it if you'd-"

"The answer is still no!"

"...Then how about a trade?" Meta Knight offered. He pulled his own mask off of his face and offered it to the Driblee. "My mask for the one you have right now."

"Hm..." The Driblee thought about it as he swished tail back and forth. "I don't know, I like the one I've got already."

"But this one will make you look more intimidating," Meta Knight argued. "Would you like to try it on?"

"Mm...OK," The Driblee said as he exchanged masks with Meta Knight, they practically yelled with excitement. "Whoa! This is even better than the other one!"

"So I can keep this one, then?"

"Of course!" The Driblee yelled happily. "I don't need that one, anymore!"

With that said, Meta Knight flew back to where Gooey was and handed him Brother's mask. Gooey looked at him with a curious gaze. "Why did you do that?"

"Because they probably weren't going to let go until I gave them something better," Meta Knight replied. "So where was your brother staying, again? With Dedede?"

"Yeah."

"...And Dedede is OK with this?"

"Yep," Gooey said with a nod. "He's been a better Dad than Zero ever was."

Gooey wasn't one to talk about Zero very often. He often thought bitterly of his creator. One could even argue that Gooey hated him, though he never wanted to admit it.

Still, it's not like he had to worry about his creator again. Even if he did come back, Kirby would be able to take care of it. He could take down anyone no matter who it might be.

Though come to think of it, didn't Kirby mention something about fighting Zero in his old home before it blew up? Not that it really mattered, though. Zero was gone and he was never coming back.

* * *

Soon, Gooey and Meta Knight had made their way back to Dedede's castle. As they got back, Dedede was waiting in his throne room with his arms crossed. He looked like an angry parent ready to scold their children.

"So I was told that you attacked Dark Matter out of nowhere?"

Meta Knight nodded. "Yes, I will admit I jumped to conclusions without thinking, but I truly expected the worst out of him."

"I understand that, but he's...kinda like Gooey in a way."

"In what way?"

"In that he's...also been through some tough times, if you know what I mean."

Meta Knight frowned, he turned towards Gooey and handed him the mask. "Would you mind giving this back to your brother for me? I wish to speak with Dedede alone."

Gooey looked at Dedede and tilted his head.

"It's only for a little bit," Dedede assured him. Gooey nodded in understanding as he left the throne room. He was sure that his brother was in his room after that whole incident. As soon as he entered the room, he found Brother curled up under the blankets. Kirby was laying against him with his hands on his chest.

"Hey, Gooey!" Kirby greeted as Brother peaked out of the blankets.

"Hi, Kirby!" Gooey greeted as he placed the mask and the sword onto the nightstand. Dark Matter's eye widened as he noticed the mask. "Is that-"

"Meta Knight wanted to get it back for you," Gooey explained. "He felt really bad about what happened, earlier."

"...That's nice!" Brother said dismissively. Kirby patted him on the back. "You don't have to forgive him right now, but he did go through the trouble of finding your mask."

Brother grumbled, but he knew that Kirby was right. Regardless, he buried himself under the blanket again. Gooey climbed onto the bed and patted his brother on the back.

It didn't seem like he and Meta Knight were going to be friends anytime soon, but hopefully their next encounter will be a better one.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brothers find some crystals, Gooey goes to talk to Adeleine while Dark Matter finds about what caused Dark Star to explode.

It had been a few days since that incident, and today it seemed like Kirby had left to go on one of his own adventures. Meanwhile, Gooey was sweeping the house with his broom. For most items, Gooey would usually use his tongue to hold it. But in this case, he found it easier to hold onto the broom with both arms.

As he swept, Gooey noticed something shiny hanging out from under the bed. It was a crystal. More specifically, it was a piece of crystal Kirby had gotten from the Fairy planet. He carefully grabbed it by the ribbon, as the crystal itself would hurt him if he wasn't careful.

Now that he thought about it, there were a lot of artifacts that were used to harm Dark Matter. There was the Rainbow Sword, the Heart-Stars, the rod formed from the Heart-Stars, and even Meta Knight's sword could be used to harm his siblings. Some of these things could harm even Zero himself.

Come to think of it...Dedede and Bandana Dee also had these crystals, right? And so did Ado. What if Brother ended up getting hurt because of these Crystals?

...Then again, Gooey doubted that Dedede or Bandana Dee would actually hurt him on purpose. And though Ado's experience with Gooey's family wasn't the greatest, she'd more likely use her paintings than to hurt him with her crystal.

Actually, maybe it'd be easier to explain everything to Ado before something DID happen. Even if Ado wasn't going to hurt Brother, there was a good chance that Brother could hurt her without realizing it. Ado had her strengths, sure...but humans weren't exactly strong on their own.

With that thought fresh in his mind, Gooey placed the broom down and headed outside. He needed to let Ado know about this as soon as possible.

* * *

Although Dark Matter still had bitter feelings about Meta Knight, he was happy that he finally got his mask back. He'd forgotten how clear the world looked with it, he probably wouldn't mind training with some of the Waddle Dees if it weren't for the fact that they were busy patrolling the castle.

Instead, Dark Matter had the urge to rummage through some of the junk that was hiding in the basement. So far, he'd found an empty treasure chest, some old clothes, a toy hammer, and a mask. This one looked like it would fit Dedede's face than it would fit anyone else's.

As Dark Matter continued to look through the mess he created, he accidentally bumped his head against a shelf. A few items fell off, including a pair of crystals. 

Dark Matter groaned as he rubbed his head with his cloak. He looked down, thankfully the crystals hadn't shattered. He picked them up by their ribbons and examined them. They had a bit of a greenish hue, and there was a bit of light coming from them. 

"What do you think you're doing down there!?" Dedede yelled as he headed into the basement. Dark Matter was petrified, he dropped the shards back onto the ground as Dedede walked over to him.

"You know it's rude to go through someone's stuff without asking, right?"

"I-I...forgive me," Dark Matter said quietly as he picked up the crystals. "I'll just clean-"

"DON'T TOUCH THOSE!" Dedede yelled as he snatched the two crystals from Dark Matter. When he realized how badly startled the dark blob was, Dedede quietly stuffed the crystals into his pockets. "Sorry, but I can't have you touchin' these things."

"...W-Why not?"

"They're from Ripple Star, that's all you need to know!"

Oh yes, Dark Matter was aware of Ripple Star's existence. It was so close to Dark Star, and although the fairies weren't beings of light like the Puffballs, they knew how to harness the light inside the crystals to keep Lord Zero from invading. Why Dark Matter's kind decided it was a good idea to attack Ripple Star was beyond his understanding.

"If I may ask...How exactly did you get these crystals, I know you didn't just find them on your own."

"You sure you wanna here that story?" Dedede asked with concern. "Because it might be too much for you to handle."

"I assure you, I can handle it just fine."

"All right, but let's just get you outta here, first." Dedede said sternly. "I don't want you digging through my stuff anymore, OK?"

"...Yes, sire."

With that said, Dark Matter began to follow Dedede out of the basement. He had to wonder what it was that Dedede had to say about the Ripple Star incident.

* * *

Gooey was flying high above Popstar at this point, his fins propelled him forward as he tried to look for Ado. She wasn't at her house, so she was probably somewhere else right now.

Eventually, Gooey was able to spot her at the beach. She had her canvas out as she tried to paint the ocean. There weren't any moving paintings, though that might be a good thing. Last thing Ado would want was to get drenched in water while she was painting.

Gooey lowered himself to the ground and started hopping over to her. "Ado-line!"

The human turned her head and waved at the young blob. "Hi, Gooey! Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing!" Gooey replied. "It's just...I wanted to tell you about Brother."

"Let me guess, did he come back to take over Popstar again?" Ado asked as she continued to paint. Gooey shook his head. "No, he's actually been with Dedede ever since we found him."

"...Wait, you left him alone with Dedede!?" Ado yelled in horror. Gooey shook his head as he waved a pair of arms in front of him. "No! No! He's not attacking Dedede, he's just been staying with him!"

Perhaps explaining this might be harder than Gooey thought it would be...?

* * *

Meanwhile, Dedede had lead Dark Matter into the kitchen. He sat down at one of the tables while Dark Matter sat down next to him.

"So lemme ask again, are you sure you wanna hear about this story? 'Cause we can back out at any time."

"I'm positive," Dark Matter replied. With that said, Dedede let out a sigh as he thought about where to start.

"So basically, it all started when this fairy named Ribbon came into the picture. She was gonna use this giant crystal to try and get rid of the Dark Matter invading Ripple Star, but three of 'em started chasin' her and broke the crystal. You followin' me, so far?"

Dark Matter nodded.

"All right, so Ribbon runs into Kirby and they start collecting all the shards. And along the way, he runs into Bandana Dee and a human named Adeleine. I came into the picture when one of the shards fell into my castle. Kirby tried to grab it from me, but I just wanted to see what it was...and then one of the Dark Matter that chased Ribbon possessed me."

"...Were you OK after that?"

"I was fine," Dedede replied. " But I got dragged into that whole mess once that Dark Matter let me go. We hopped from one planet to another just to collect those crystals. And when we got to Ripple Star, we ran into this...thing. And he held onto the last piece of crystal."

"And what did this 'thing' look like?" Dark Matter asked curiously. Dedede looked away as he rubbed the back of his head. "Let's see...this thing was white, he had a lotta eyes, and he could use all kinds of abilities. Kirby was the one that did most of the fighting, though."

"...That thing you're referring to may have been Miracle Matter," Dark Matter replied. "His purpose was to guard Dark Star. But if Kirby managed to take him down, then it was no wonder it got destroyed."

"Is it normal for Dark Matter to look like that?" Dedede asked. Dark Matter shook his head. "He is simply just a defective Zero. He could never create life from darkness like Lord Zero could, so his purpose was to protect Dark Star. In your terms, I guess you could say he was my uncle."

"Yeah...so about Zero...you know there's more to this story, right?" Dedede asked. Dark Matter gave him a confused look but he decided to let him continue.

"So after Kirby knocked out Miracle Matter, we were able to fix that crystal. And apparently, the Fairy Queen got possessed too at some point...But whatever possessed her fled Ripple Star and opened the way to Dark Star. And when we all went there, there was this other thing. It looked like Zero, but it had wings and a halo over its head."

"...So you're telling me...that Lord Zero came back?" Dark Matter asked coldly. He wrapped himself in his cloak in an attempt to comfort himself.

"That's the thing, we don't know if it was Zero or something that looked like him." Dedede explained. "He wasn't able to recognize me OR Kirby, but he started attackin' Kirby as soon as he saw him."

Dark Matter wrapped himself even tighter. If this thing WAS Lord Zero, what was he trying to do? Was he trying to take control of the entire galaxy? And how mutilated was he? Dark Matter recalled that he popped his own eye out in order to kill Kirby and Gooey, he hated to imagine what sort of abomination he turned into.

And if Lord Zero WAS alive, maybe he'd try to kill Dark Matter for failing his mission? He'd probably throw some of that acidic blood onto him just to melt him. And when he WAS done with Dark Matter, he'd probably move on to someone else, like Kirby, Dedede or even Gooey.

"Hey, calm down!" Dedede said sternly as he placed a hand firmly onto Dark Matter's back. "I told you it was gonna be too much for you."

"Tell me...do you know for sure if Lord Zero is dead?"

"Well...we haven't seen him since Dark Star exploded," Dedede replied. "And if he WAS alive, I'd think he would've come back by now."

"But can you tell me for certain!?" Dark Matter yelled as he started clinging to Dedede's cloak. "Can you tell me for sure that he won't come back and kill us all!?"

"I said 'calm down'!" Dedede said sternly while patting Dark Matter's back. A frown had formed on his beak "You usually don't act out like this."

"I...forgive me, I shouldn't have acted out in such a way, especially not towards you."

Dedede gave Dark Matter a confident smile. "Look, if Zero ever DOES come back, we'll be sure to take care of it. I'm not gonna let him lay a single tear on Dream Land ever again."

"...For a king, you're quite reckless," Dark Matter said. "Shouldn't I or the Waddle Dees be the one protecting you?"

"Look, a king's gotta look out for his people," Dedede said proudly. "And if I'm not allowed to die, you're not allowed, either. Got it?"

"I...Th-thank you." Dark Matter replied. The idea that his leader would be willing to protect him was a reassuring one. It was no wonder everyone in this castle was so fond of Dedede. And though the idea of Zero coming back terrified him, he was sure that he'd be fine as long as he stayed here in Dream Land.

* * *

"So let me get this straight, your brother was helping you find Kirby, he got sick while you two were underground, and then Kirby and Dedede managed to save him...Right?"

"Yep."

"So now your brother is living with Dedede, and he's 'giving Popstar a chance' like you said, Right?"

"Yep."

Ado let out a sigh as she sat down next to Gooey. "Honestly...it's hard for me to believe, are you sure that this is a good idea?"

Gooey nodded. "I know he was bad before, but we're really trying to help him out."

"I know, but aren't you worried that he might attack Popstar again? He's done it before, hasn't he?"

"...No, I dun think he'll ever do it again," Gooey replied. "He was so scared of Kirby that he wanted to stay hidden. And if I didn't tell him who I was, he probably would've died alone. And I don't think he'd want that."

Ado gave Gooey a light smile as she rested her head in her hand. "He must mean a lot to you if you're willing to give him another chance."

Gooey nodded. "He watched over me while we still lived in our old home, so it's my turn to watch over him."

"And why do you think that is?"

"...Because I want him to be happy, too." Gooey said bluntly. "I wanted him to give Popstar an actual chance, and he seemed like he was doing good so far...but after what happened with Meta Knight, I dunno what else I can do to help him."

Ado closed her eyes as she tried to think, she leaned against the sand that was underneath her. "Well, it sounds like some aren't so willing to give him that chance."

"So what can I do about it."

"Just do what you usually do," Ado suggested. "Try to be there for him whenever you can."

It was good advice, but Gooey wished that there was more he could do for his brother. So until he could figure everything out, it was best to try and stick to Ado's advice for now. Besides, it was always nice to have someone to fall back on, right?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about not being able to update last week, work kind of got in the way again.
> 
> This and the next one are a bit happier (if a little bittersweet), so enjoy them while you can.

"Hey, Blade! Did you wanna go shopping with me for a bit?"

Dark Matter looked at Bandana Dee with a curious look. "...Did you just call me 'Blade'?"

"W-well...Since that's what Taranza calls you, I thought you wouldn't mind me using it, too."

"I don't mind, it's just...I never expected that name to catch on."

"That's all right, it took me a while to get used to people calling me 'Bandana Dee'." Although the Waddle Dee had no mouth, Dark Matter got the impression that he was smiling.

"A-anyway...I don't know if I SHOULD go out," Dark Matter said quietly. "Someone could attack me the moment they see me, plus Sire told me that Gooey was coming over today, so-"

"It's fine, Gooey can always come with us!" Bandana Dee said.

"OK...but what if someone still recognizes me and attacks me?" Dark Matter repeated. Bandana Dee thought for a moment until he came up with a solution. "Dedede has an old cloak that you could borrow."

"But why would he need such a thing?"

"I dunno," Bandana Dee said with a shrug. "Waddle Doo told me that he'd wear it while he was losing his baby feathers."

"...Did he not always have the same feathers?"

"Nope, I was told that Dedede's feathers used to be a greyish-brown."

"Ah...so it's just how birds are then, yes?"

"Something like that," Bandana Dee replied. "Now you wait here while I fetch that cloak."

Dark Matter waited as Bandana Dee took off to find the cloak. He hoped that it'd be enough for him to go out unrecognized. Assuming this cloak had a hood, it might be able to hide his spines. Surely, Dedede wouldn't mind if he borrowed it for a little bit...right?

"I've got it!" Bandana Dee yelled excitedly as he entered the room. As expected, it was a red cloak with white fluff around the edges. There was also a blue gem sewn onto the neck area. Although it was old, it looked like it might be big enough for Dedede to still wear.

"So what do you think?" Bandana Dee asked. "Do you think it'll help keep you hidden?"

"...I think it'll work just fine."

* * *

Soon, Dark Matter was following Bandana Dee outside the castle. The cloak he was wearing was longer than what he was used to, and the hood almost covered Dark Matter's face. But if this was used to keep Dedede's face hidden, then that may have been the point.

Gooey had just made their way to castle grounds, he crawled over to Bandana Dee as he waved. "Hello!"

"Hiya, Gooey!" Bandana Dee replied. "Blade and I were just gonna go shopping, wanna come with us?"

"Oh, sure!" Gooey replied before looking at his brother. "...That IS Brother under that cloak, right?"

"Yes, it's me," Dark Matter replied. "I didn't want to leave without some form of disguise."

Of course...one could argue that a Dark Matter's blade form was a disguise all on its own, but even then he was certain that others would attack him. And even if the the Dream Landers were used to living with his other siblings, his spines would be enough to give him away.

The trio started leaving the castle. And as they left, Gooey couldn't help but ask a lot of questions.

"So are we gonna see Mag-lor, today?"

"That's part of the plan, yeah."

"So what kinda weapons is he gonna sell?"

"Hopefully a new spear."

"Is Tanza gonna be there, too."

"If he hadn't gone home already, then yeah."

Wait, so Taranza was going to be there? Maybe this shopping trip might not be so bad after all? Then again...as the group moved forward, Dark Matter would receive a lot of confused looks, and even some bitter ones when they saw his face.

After a while, thr group had made their way to a town. It was a little far from Kirby's house or Dedede's castle, but it was a busy town nonetheless.

There were a few siblings here, some would openly fly by in Blade form while their younger siblings hid under their cloak. But other than that, there was something else here that Dark Matter could detect. They weren't exactly another sibling, but he could sense a strong amount of negative energy here. He wondered if Gooey could sense it, too. But from he could tell, he didn't seem to be bothered by the negativity.

Soon, the group made their way to a small cart with items surrounding it. Sitting on top of the cart was Taranza, and standing inside the cart was an egg-shaped creature that wore a white and green clothing. Strangely, all that negative energy appeared to be coming from this creature.

"...Is that you, Blade?" Taranza asked as he noticed the group's presence. "I wasn't expecting to see you out here."

"You know this creep?" asked the creature, Taranza replied with a nod. "He's the Dark Matter I was telling you about."

"Ah...and here I was hoping that I could join him in the chaos," the creature teased, which earned him a look from Gooey and Bandana Dee. 

"He hasn't been doing anything, though." Bandana Dee told the creature.

"I know! I know!" The creature replied. "So what are you two here for?"

"You wouldn't happen to have any new spears in stock, would you?" asked Bandana Dee. "The one I've got now is starting to break."

"Uh...maybe, I'll go check."

With that said, the the creature turned around and started searching. As he searched, Dark Matter started whispering to Gooey. "You can sense that energy coming out of him too, can't you?"

"Yeah, but I dun think he's a Dark Matter like us," Gooey replied. He looked at Bandana Dee and started whispering to him as well. "What did you say happened to him? Something about a crown?"

"Basically, he used us to grab this powerful crown which turned him into...well, a monster. Kirby, Dedede, Meta Knight, and I took care of it, though."

"It's rude to talk about someone behind their back, you know!" the creature scolded as he pulled out a spear. "But since your friend's new here, I'll let you off the hook this time."

"Right...sorry," Bandana Dee replied as he looked at Dark Matter. "Anyway, this is Magolor. He runs a shop here."

"Oh yeah, can I have a sword?" Gooey asked, Magolor gave him a curious look. "But I thought you already had one."

"That one broke, so I want another one!"

Magolor huffed as he pulled out a bronze-colored sword. "All right, but it won't be cheap."

As Gooey and Bandana Waddle Dee paid for their items, Taranza hopped off of the cart and gave Dark Matter a curious look. "So why are you wearing that cloak instead of the one you normally wear? It looks more like something Dedede would wear."

"I've...ran into a bit of trouble not too long ago," Dark Matter explained. "I thought that if I wore this, I wouldn't get attacked out of nowhere."

"I suppose that's fair," Taranza replied. "I wasn't exactly welcome to Dedede's castle when I first came down here...though I will say, the people out here don't seem to care one way or the other about their king." Taranza had a distant look on his face as he placed a hand below his chin. "I can't help but wonder if my people felt the same way about Sectonia..."

"...Who?"

"Uh...Sorry, I was just thinking out loud!" Taranza said while panicking. "But if you think about it, Dedede hasn't always been the big hero."

"...He DID tell me that he and Kirby weren't always on good terms," Dark Matter replied. "So why do you think he's been helping us?"

"...Maybe because he doesn't want us to go down a darker path?" Taranza replied. "I wasn't exactly in a good spot when I met Kirby and Dedede. In fact, I was asked to kidnap the Hero of Dream Land. I was supposed to kidnap Kirby, but I took Dedede instead...not that he isn't a hero in his own right."

"But why do such a thing?" Dark Matter asked. "What would that accomplish?"

"...Sometimes I wonder the same thing, myself." Taranza said bitterly. "Tell me, Blade...Have you ever had to follow someone's orders no matter what they may be? And were you ever punished if you didn't follow through with them?"

"I...I've been punished for many things," Dark Matter replied. "It's not something that I wish to get into, yet."

"I see...So it seems that you have a few skeletons in your closet, too." Taranza replied. "Perhaps that's why Dedede wanted us to be friends?"

While Dark Matter had been curious as to why Dedede wanted him and Taranza to be friends, he was starting to realize that this bug had quite a bit in common with him. Maybe before he became a king, he also had a leader that he was incredibly loyal to? And when he couldn't complete his tasks, this leader would punish Taranza? Dark Matter hated the thought of someone going through what he'd been through, it made him shudder.

"I just hope that this Sectonia person treated you better than my former leader treated me."

Taranza let out a sigh as he patted Dark Matter on the back. "I'll tell you all about her when I'm ready, Blade."

"Brother! BROTHER!" Gooey yelled excitedly while carrying a sword in his tongue. "Wanna come train with me?"

Dark Matter gave him a curious look. "Why ask such a thing?"

"Well...I just thought that since he haven't done it for a long time, we could train again!" Gooey said excitedly.

"Is this a thing you Dark Matter do for fun?" Taranza asked, Dark Matter shrugged. "Something like that...but maybe we shouldn't train out here with so many people around?"

"Oh, I know a good training spot!" Bandana Dee said while waving a hand. "Just follow me, OK?"

With that said, the group began to follow Bandana Dee. By Popstar's standards, it had been years since Dark Matter had trained Gooey. And though he was able to help Kirby stop Meta Knight not that long ago, he couldn't help but wonder if Gooey had gained any other skills since they last trained.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The brothers fight with swords and Chuchu panics.

Bandana Dee had lead the group out of town and into a wide, open space. There was a lot of grass here with few trees standing by. Dark Matter probably would've felt sick to his stomach had it not been for the trees.

Taranza and Bandana Dee were sitting far away from the two brothers, Gooey anxiously waved his sword as he awaited his brother to make his first move.

"Are you sure you're prepared for this, Brother?"

Gooey nodded as his tongue tightened around his new sword.

"Good, because I won't hold back!"

With that said, Gooey charged at his brother with the sword in his tongue, Dark Matter dodged it, he pulled out his own sword and nearly struck Gooey on the side. "You'll have to be a bit swifter than that, Gooey!"

Gooey landed back onto the grass. As he landed, he began to set himself on fire as he lunged towards his brother again. Gooey was knocked back again as their swords clashed.

As far as attacks went, it seemed that Gooey preferred to attack head-on than to come up with any major strategies. But even then, it was a vast improvement compared to when they last trained. He was never much of a fighter back on Dark Star, so seeing him go all-out made him somewhat proud.

...But not proud enough to go easy on his younger sibling. As Gooey tried to strike Dark Matter again, Dark Matter struck back by knocking him into the ground. He gave Gooey a menacing glare.

"You may have a few new tricks up your sleeve, but you're never going to win if you rely on the same tactics over and over."

"Hey, Blade?" Bandana Dee called out. "Don't you think you're going a little too far?"

"I agree, you're acting unusually cruel to your brother!" Taranza added. Perhaps they were right? Maybe Dark Matter was working Gooey a bit too hard?

"Right, my apologies!" Dark Matter said as he turned his attention towards Gooey. "What do you say, Brother? Should we-ACK!"

Just as Dark Matter turned around, Gooey had set himself on fire and tackled Dark Matter in the stomach. He couldn't even breathe for a moment, Gooey had managed to knock the wind out of him.

"Blade! Taranza called out as he floated over to him. "Are you OK?"

"Gooey, that was dirty!" Waddle Dee scolded. Gooey frowned as he dropped the sword, "But I-"

"I...beg to differ!" Dark Matter wheezed as he sat up. "He saw an opportunity and he took it, I'd say that's a good thing!"

As everyone began to settle down, Chuchu started running over to the group. She looked as if she'd seen witnessed a murder.

"What's wrong, Chuchu?" Gooey asked while tilting his head. The young octopus flailed two of her arms as she tried to explain everything.

"W-we were heading over here, and-and then a stampede happened and now trapped Rick and Nyupun under a pile of trees. I think they're OK, but I don't, I can't-"

"Please calm down," Dark Matter said bluntly. "Just lead us to them and we'll see what we can do to help."

Chuchu nodded as she began to lead the group, Dark Matter had to wonder what had happened that got her so worked-up.

* * *

As Chuchu lead the group, they noticed a few tired boars here and there that laid underneath the trees. Some of the bigger ones had a cautious look on their faces, It seemed that they may have been spooked by something, though Dark Matter wasn't sure what it was. For all he knew, they could've gotten spooked by an insect...well, an insect unlike Taranza anyway.

The group eventually made their way over to a pile of trees. Meta Knight was already here with a human child. Surely, he couldn't have been the one that caused this, right?

...No, careless nature aside, it didn't seem like something he would do.

"Look, there she is!" the human said while pointing to Chuchu. "And she's got company!"

"Let me see!" said a voice as they peaked through the fallen trees, they looked like the hamster friend that Kirby traveled with. And although it was hard to see Nyupun, two of their arms were wrapped around one of the trees.

"Well don't just stand here, help us!" Meta Knight demanded as he grabbed one of the trees, the human began to help him afterwards. Not long after that, everyone else began to lift the trees. Bandana Dee and Taranza grabbed onto one tree while Gooey and Dark Matter lifted another tree. Lifting them was difficult, but Rick was able to hop out of the pile along with Nyupun once they were out of the way.

"Whew! We can't thank you guys enough!" Rick said happily before looking at Dark Matter. "And I don't know who you are, but thanks anyway."

Dark Matter stayed silent as he kept his face hidden, though he jumped as Gooey spoke. "You mean you dun recognize Brother?"

"GOOEY!"

Dark Matter began to wrap his cloak around himself as Rick, Meta Knight, and the human stared at him. It was hard to tell what Meta Knight's expression was, but Dark Matter had to assume that they were all frowning.

"So you guys weren't lying, huh?" Rick said curiously before smiling. "Well...a thank you is still a thank you."

"Y-yeah...Thanks for your help, Dark Matter." said the human.

Dark Matter gave them a curious look, he was sure that the other Animal Friends told Rick about him, but he had to wonder how the human didn't attack him. Perhaps Gooey had something to do with it? But when Dark Matter tried to talk to Meta Knight, it seemed the puffball had ran off somewhere.

"Where's Meta Knight?" Chuchu asked.

"He probably had other things to do," Taranza added. "But I have to ask...what was it that got those Boars so riled up in the first place?"

"We dunno," Chuchu said with a shrug. "One moment they're all sleeping, and then the next minute they're all runnin' after us."

Something wasn't right. When Dark Matter took over Dream Land, he was able to cause all kinds of chaos, so anyone touched by his influence would have some dark energy eminating from them. However, he didn't feel anything from the boars. Perhaps there was something else going on? Or maybe Dark Matter was overthinking things? Either one was possible.

Although...come to think of it, where was Kirby? Perhaps whatever he was roped in may have involved the boars. Whatever the case may be, he figured that it'd be best not to question it. Besides, Kirby's dealt with all kinds of things of this nature. He was probably fine on his own.

...Right?

* * *

With everything settled down, the group decided to head back to town. Bandana Dee went off to look for food, Taranza was back to bothering Magolor, and Chuchu went to a nearby restaraunt with her group (including the human).

Meanwhile, Dark Matter and Gooey were sitting under a tree in the middle of town. Gooey playfully swung his sword in the air. Although he still had a long way to go before he could receive his own Blade Form, he'd still grown quite a bit since their time on Dark Star.

"Say, Gooey...how did you learn to use a sword? Does it have something to do with the Copy Ability?"

"Something like that," Gooey replied. "Kirby likes to use a sword a lot, too. So when he's not training with Meta Knight, he's training with me instead."

"I'm not surprised," Dark Matter said bitterly while looking away. It didn't take long for Gooey to tug his cloak. "I'll be happy to train with you too if you want."

"Uh...I-I did not mean to sound so grumpy." Dark Matter said apologetically.

"I know," Gooey replied as he put the sword down. "But I miss training with you...Even if I wasn't any good back then."

"You weren't THAT bad," Dark Matter replied. "But...perhaps if you'd gotten the Copy Ability sooner, Lord Zero never would've banished you."

"Maybe not, but I love it here." Gooey said happily. "If you hadn't saved me, I never would've come here and met everyone."

"That is true...I just wish that I'd met everyone under better circumstances."

Of course Gooey was happier on Popstar, there was so much here that Dark Matter wasn't able to provide on Dark Star. Perhaps if he'd had run away with Gooey, he never would have fought Kirby. Not only that, then perhaps Lord Zero would've been better off without him?

...But he never could've brought himself to betray his creator. A Dark Matter's purpose was to serve their leader after all. And as he thought about it, his role hadn't changed much. The only difference now was that he was serving Dedede rather than Lord Zero.

And what about Gooey? Though he was a Dark Matter, it didn't seem like he was serving anybody on this planet. The closest he had to a leader here were either Kirby or Dedede. But even then, they had their own adventures to worry about.

"Are you OK, Brother?"

"...Yes, I'm fine," Dark Matter replied as he looked down at Gooey. "If you don't mind me asking, where is Kirby?"

"Uh...I dunno," Gooey replied. "He didn't really say anything before he left, so he's probably on a really important adventure."

"I see...well, would you like to stay with us until Kirby gets back?"

"Of course!" Gooey said excitedly. "I was gonna ask, anyway!"

Perhaps Dark Matter really was overthinking things again? After all, Gooey was still trying to figure out his role in life. But if Dark Matter had to take a guess, he would say that his brother's role was to make people happy. And for a child like him, it was a good role to have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this chapter all done, there's is one more "friend" that Dark Matter will meet.
> 
> I'll give you a hint: Not only has this character been mentioned early on in the story, they've also been mentioned in "A New Home" and "Lost and Found".


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So about that new "friend" I've mentioned...remember in one of the earlier chapters when Dedede was telling Dark Matter what happened to the moon? :)

"Well, now...who would've thought that the so-called King of Dream Land would let a monster like YOU of all people into his castle?"

It was late at night, Dark Matter slowly opened his eye as he tried to figure out whose voice it was that he'd heard. Gooey was sleeping next to him, but there was someone else standing next to the bed. But when Dark Matter tried to move, his body wouldn't obey. And when he tried to speak...well, he just couldn't.

"Ah, sorry if I seem a bit rude. But I couldn't help but look into your subconscious. You actually remind me of Dedede."

What was he talking about? Was this person trying to get a rise out of him? Was HE the reason why Dark Matter couldn't move?

"You want to do the right thing and clean up your image. But after you attacked Popstar out of hatred and anger, do you really think everyone's going to accept you?"

Dark Matter's spines stood on end, which caused Gooey to groan irritably. But once he noticed something was wrong, the young blob turned around and started nudging him. "Brother? Are you OK?"

"Well, I guess there's ONE person that cares about you. But I have to wonder...Are his friends treating you kindly because they want to? Or are they only doing it for HIS sake? Or maybe they're only your 'friends' because they're worried that you'll attack Popstar again?"

"C'mon, say something!" Gooey cried out. Dark Matter tried to call out to him, but once again he couldn't speak. He felt helpless as Gooey hopped off of the bed and dashed out of the room.

"Huh...I guess you two aren't as close as I thought you were," said the stranger. He pressed down on Dark Matter's back with a thin, boney hand. It was getting difficult to breathe. "Anyway, I figured I'd drop by and leave some food for thought. There's just one tiny little favor that I need to ask of you."

The stranger pressed down even more on Dark Matter until he could no longer breathe.

"I don't want you to tell ANYONE about this. I'll make my presence known soon enough. But should you say anything, then not only will I destroy you, I'll make sure that your brother NEVER wakes up again!"

As soon as the stranger was gone, Dark Matter started gasping for air. He could no longer feel the stranger's presence, but he could still feel the stranger's cold hands on his spines.

"HOLD ON, I'M COMIN'!" Dedede yelled as he nearly broke the door off its hinges. Gooey stayed close to him as he stared worriedly at his brother.

"Are you all right? Gooey told me you were in trouble."

"I-...D-did you...not sense anything?" Dark Matter asked between gasps. Gooey gave him a confused look. "Sense what?"

Dark Matter was going explain, but then the stranger's words echoed in his head. Should he say anything else, then Gooey will never wake up.

"...It's...It's nothing, f-forget it."

Gooey still gave him the same worried look, as did Dedede. However, something about the look Dedede was giving him made it seem like he knew something was going on.

"Tell ya what, how about you guys come hang out in my room for a bit? Besides, some of the Waddle Dees have haven't gone to sleep yet, either."

"I...I don't know," Dark Matter said quietly. "I don't think the Waddle Dees will want me around."

"Sure they will," Dedede replied. "And besides, I don't think it's a good idea to leave you two alone right now."

Dark Matter groaned as he reluctantly crawled out of bed, he began to follow the duo while wrapping himself with his blanket. He didn't exactly have the energy to change forms right now.

Dedede lead the group into his room. As he said, there were a few Waddle Dees still up and about. They weren't even the ones that patrolled the castle at night, either. Waddle Doo was picking up some scattered chess pieces off the ground, three Waddle Dees were piled onto Dedede's bed, and two more were sitting beside the window.

"You two go on and get comfy, I've got a phone call I gotta make real quick!" Dedede said while coaxing the two blobs inside. Dark Matter gave him a puzzled look. "You have to call someone THIS late?"

"Trust me, it's important!" Dedede said as he stepped out of the room. Dark Matter just hoped that he knew he was doing. Meanwhile, Gooey hopped onto the bed and curled up beside the Waddle Dees. As much as Dark Matter wanted to hop up there with him, he wasn't even sure if it was allowed. For all he knew, they probably only tolerated him so he wouldn't attack them.

With that in mind, Dark Matter crawled under the bed. At least this way, he'd have some form of privacy. Not to mention that if that stranger DID come back, he'd have a harder time finding him.

* * *

It was early in the morning, Gooey was still a little worried from the last night. One moment, he was sleeping next to Brother, and then next thing he knew Brother wasn't able to move. He said something about a presence, and yet Gooey wasn't able to sense anything.

So now he was sitting on the same bed thinking about what to do next. Maybe Dedede might have an answer? If he was willing to bring the duo into his room, then surely he must know something...where was he, anyway? If he was up this early, then he'd be downstairs drinking coffee.

Gooey hopped off of the bed and looked under it, he could see that Brother was still curled up underneath. He had to wonder what that "presence" was that scared him that badly. But for now, he figured that it was better to let him rest.

It didn't take long until Gooey made his way into the kitchen. He found Dedede with a cup of coffee in his hands, he looked as if he could barely keep his eyes open. He probably didn't even realize Gooey was there.

"Good morning!" Gooey said while waving his tongue.

"Wha...?" Dedede's eyes shot open before he let out a yawn. "Sorry...I haven't gotten much sleep last night, Gooey."

"Why not?"

"Well for starters, I've been trying to contact Kirby!" Dedede said before taking a sip of his coffee. "I think an old 'friend' might be up to something?"

"Whaddaya mean?"

"Well...what happened that got your brother to start gasping like that?"

"Uh...I dunno, his eye was open but he wasn't moving."

"Ah, so it might've been sleep paralysis."

"Sleep what?" Gooey asked as he gave Dedede a puzzled look.

"Sleep paralysis,: Dedede repeated. "It's when you wake up but you can't move, sometimes there's even some creep sitting at the foot of your bed."

"But I didn't see anyone there."

"That's 'cause it's...uh..." Dedede started rubbing his head as he tried to think, though his mind was still somewhat fuzzy. "Well, how would you feel if you couldn't move or talk at all? You'd be scared too, wouldn't ya?"

"I think so," Gooey replied. Not being able to talk was one thing, since Gooey couldn't talk before coming to Popstar. But the thought of not being able to move sounded scary.

"If that happened, then would you be able to save me?"

"We would...but stuff like this doesn't normally happen on Popstar," Dedede told Gooey. "I'd take Dark Matter to the Fountain of Dreams, but it's probably not gonna help him right now. Plus, we don't even know where Kirby is."

"So what do we do?"

"Obviously we've gotta keep an eye on Dark Matter, but we've also gotta look out for any other weird stuff that happens. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good," Dedede said before he guzzled down the rest of his coffee. "And if he goes through another episode like that, then stay calm and try to grab me if you can."

Gooey nodded in understanding. Whatever happened last night really scared his brother, but he was going to make sure that whatever "creep" he saw wasn't going to hurt him again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After that Sleep Paralysis episode, the Brothers visit Ado for the day.

As the day went on, Gooey had convinced his brother to visit Ado today. He insisted on wearing the same cloak that he wore while they were in town, as he was still worried that someone would attack him.

"You'll really like Ado's art," Gooey said cheerfully. "She can bring all kinds of things to life with her brush."

"...So I've heard," Brother said dismissively.

"Oh, dun be like that~!" Gooey responded. "I told her all about you, so you dun gotta worry about her attacking you."

"Of course you did!"

Gooey let out a small growl, his brother hadn't been this grumpy since they reunited underground. Nonetheless, he tried to stay positive as he approached Ado's house. She was sitting under a tree with a sketch pad and some pencils.

"Hi, Ado-line!" Gooey said happily. She looked at the young blob at first, but she lifted her sketch pad up to hide her face as she saw Brother. It seemed like she was still nervous about having him around.

"Uh...hello," Ado said quietly. "I...didn't think that you'd bring Dark Matter over."

"...I knew that coming out here was a mistake!" Brother said bitterly. Gooey yanked his cloak in order to get his attention. "Calm down, she's just shy around other people!"

"N-No, I shouldn't have said anything." Ado said while shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's fine," Brother said in a monotone voice. "It's probably best that I stay out of your way..."

With that said, Brother hovered away from the duo and rested under a different tree. He began to watch the clouds like he usually liked to do. Gooey looked at Ado and frowned. "Sorry about Brother, he's been grumpy since he woke up."

"That's all right, if he wants to be a grump then we'll let him be a grump!" Ado said loudly, which earned her a glare from Brother. Nonetheless, she looked down at Gooey and tore out some paper from her sketch pad. "Do you wanna draw with me, Gooey?"

"Sure!" Gooey said as he happily accepted the paper. He grabbed a nearby pencil and started drawing. But what should he draw, though? His friends? Some food? Or maybe he could draw something to cheer his brother up? Besides, he had plenty of room to work with, so he could draw whatever he liked.

* * *

After a while, Gooey used up all of his paper. Without any color, it was hard to tell what he drew. He attempted to draw Brother on one page, but he also drew drew Kirby, Dedede, and Ado on the other pages.

Ado was still drawing of course, but Brother was staring drowsily at the clouds. He would jolt himself awake whenever he was going to pass out. Gooey grabbed one of the pictures he drew and crawled over to his Brother's side. "Hey, look what I did!"

"...Hm?" Gooey's brother looked down at him with a confused look. "Sorry, I shouldn't be dozing off like I am now."

"That's OK, we can always take a nap later!" Gooey said happily, though his brother gave him a frightened look. Perhaps he was worried about that creep popping up in his sleep, again?

"Anyway, I drew you this!" Gooey said as he gave the drawing to Brother. "It's...a nice hedgehog, Gooey."

"It's s'posed to be you, dummy!" Gooey said playfully. His brother looked away shamefully. "R-right, my apologies."

Brother's attention soon turned to Ado, he quietly flied over to her and sat next to her just to see what she was doing. There was a picture of a fairy in her sketch pad. But before Brother could ask her anything, Ado closed her sketch pad and glared at him.

"D-do you mind?"

"Ah...Forgive me, I just wanted to see what you were drawing," Brother said quietly. "I thought it looked really good."

"W-well, thank you," Ado said quietly.

"And your name is...Ado, right?"

"Adeleine."

"Right...Adeleine, I hope you'll forgive me for my behavior earlier." Brother responded as he rubbed his spines with his cloak.

Ado let out a sigh, "It's fine. I'm just glad that you calmed down."

"Why dun you draw something too, Brother?" Gooey suggested, "we're still doin' it right now!"

"We might need more paper for that," Ado said as she stood up and headed into her house. Brother couldn't help but panic. "W-wait! I never said-"

It was too late, Ado had already ran into her home. Regardless, Gooey looked up at his brother. "It's OK, you'll get better at art once you start drawing. Ado always says my pictures look better every time I draw them."

"Er...but your art looks fine," Brother said.

"You called my drawing a hedgehog."

"Well it's not like I know how to draw, either!"

The brothers stopped bickering once Ado stepped out of her house. She carried a huge stack of paper, some crayons, and some pencils. She placed them all next to her as she sat against the tree again.

"All right, now we've got enough paper for everyone!" Ado said as she took some paper and started drawing on her sketch pad. Gooey did the same as he placed some paper onto the ground and started drawing.

From the corner of his eye, Gooey could see his brother staring up at the clouds again. He stayed like that for a moment before grabbing some paper, a red crayon, and a black crayon with invisible hands. He sat back down at the tree he was sitting under and started coloring the paper.

Gooey had to wonder what it was that he was drawing. But like earlier, it was probably best to leave him be while he drew his own picture.

Once everyone was done drawing, Ado tapped Gooey's back to gain his attention. "Hey, Gooey...what do you think?"

Gooey looked at Ado's picture, she drew a picture of a tall fairy with braided black hair. It must've been another one of her fairy friends.

"I like it!"

"Thanks, I'm sure she'll love it when I get the chance to show it to her."

"Ah, well do you wanna see what I drew?" Gooey asked as he showed Ado his drawing. It was a picture of a of a lollipop.

"Oh, that's cute!" Ado said happily. "It looks even better than the last lollipop you drew."

Gooey's eyes practically sparkled from the compliment, his attention turned towards Brother.

"Did you hear that? Ado said my art's getting better!"

"That's nice," Brother said almost dismissively. He seemed to be more focused on his drawing.

"Say, why don't you show us what you drew?" Ado asked. Brother dropped the crayon he was using as he looked away. "It's...not very good."

"That's fine, we're not going to judge you for it."

Brother remained silent for another moment before grabbing the picture and floating over to the duo. He handed it over to Ado. The picture was mostly colored red with black spots covering it. They were probably clouds, judging by the shape.

"And uh...what is this supposed to be?"

"The sky of my old home," Brother explained. "I've grown quite used to the sky on this planet, but even then I still wish I could see Dark Star once more."

"Ah, so you're homesick..." Ado explained while placing Brother's picture down. "I don't blame you, I wish I could back to my home, too."

"But don't you live here?"

"I do, but before I came to Popstar I used to live somewhere else."

"So what happened to your old home?"

"It was completely frozen over," Ado replied. "I don't know if anyone else escaped, but it...was a haunting experience going back."

"I see..." Brother sat down and let out a sigh. "It seems this planet is always taking in someone with no home. It's not just you and me either, but Gooey as well."

"But I like Popstar!" Gooey added. Ado looked at him and frowned. "I know you do, but...why DID you leave your old home, Gooey?"

"Because Zero didn't want me," Gooey said bluntly.

"More specifically, Lord Zero wanted to kill him. I convinced him to spare Gooey's life, but in exchange Gooey could never come back to Dark Star again."

"Ah...well, I'm sure we don't have to worry about that anymore," Ado replied. "Besides, Zero's been gone for a long time. So I'm sure you two don't have to worry about him anymore."

"I...I sincerely hope that is the case," Brother said quietly. Although Ado meant well, it seemed that Brother still had Zero on his mind. Perhaps Brother had a dream involving Zero last night and that's what caused him to panic?

...No, that couldn't be it. Dedede told Gooey about an old "friend" of his that caused his brother to gasp like that, so it couldn't have been Zero. Either way, Gooey was sure that he would figure something out.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their fun with Adeleine, Dark Matter speaks with that same "friend" from last night.
> 
> Also, Dededad.

"So...how are we doing, tonight?"

...Oh dear sweet Void he was paralyzed again! Dark Matter tried to move, but it was pointless.

"To me it seemed like you had fun today, but I must ask...Did that child really want you there? Or was she only putting up with you for your brother's sake?"

It might've been what the demon said. But even then, it didn't seem like Adeleine minded having him around.

"You seem to rely on your brother an awful lot, you know. But enough about him, why don't we talk about someone else? Like your creator, for instance?"

...And what did he want with Lord Zero? Dark Matter was sure that this demon was up to something.

"You know, your creator is still out there," said the demon. "Unfortunately, it seems that he's lost his memory. Do you know whose fault that is? Do I even need to say it?"

The demon began to run his hand through Dark Matter's spines, the poor blob was starting to feel tense.

"And you KNOW Kirby fought him a second time, so why didn't you help then? Oh wait, it's because you were already guilty of letting him die in the first place!"

Dark Matter attempted to speak, but nothing came out. He wanted this demon to stop.

"And do you really want to know the sad thing about all of this? Even if he DID keep his memories, he STILL wouldn't have cared about you. He never cared back then, and he wouldn't care about you now!"

Dark Matter tried to speak again, but his voice was weak. "St...stop..."

The demon paused for a moment. He was shocked at first, but he began to squeeze Dark Matter as if he were a stress ball.

"Why should I stop? You know it's true! Your creator didn't care about you, your siblings didn't care about you. And sure, you have all of these 'friends' surrounding you, but the moment you finally snap, these 'friends' aren't going to care about you, either. You'll be all alone again, and everyone will move on with their lives."

"I said STOP!" Dark Matter yelled, which startled Gooey in the process.

"I...Forgive me, I shouldn't have yelled like that," Dark Matter said as he sank into the bed.

Gooey let out a yawn, "It's all right, let's just go get Dedede."

"But what can he do?"

Gooey tried to think, though his mind was still fuzzy from his brother's outburst. "I dunno, but he said to let him know if something like that happened again."

Is that so? He suspected that Dedede knew something, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions. Nonetheless, Gooey groggily hopped out of bed and started leading Dark Matter to Dedede's room. He gently knocked on the door with his tongue before letting out another yawn.

It didn't take long for Dedede to open the door, he looked at the duo and frowned. "Lemme guess, Gooey thought you were in trouble again?"

"I...may have woken him up unintentionally."

Dedede let out a sigh as he grabbed the two brothers and placed them onto his bed. Once agin, there were a few Waddle Dees here scattered on the bed. They looked as if they hadn't slept in days.

"You and I are gonna have to talk later," Dedede said while looking at Dark Matter. "But right now, I've gotta do another phone call."

"But shouldn't you be sleeping, yourself?" Dark Matter asked.

"I'm the King, I'll sleep whenever I wanna sleep!"

As Dedede stepped outside of the room, Gooey placed an arm over his brother's back. His eyes were barely even open at this point. "C'mon, Brother. Go back to sleep!"

But what if that demon was right? What if nobody really did care about him? What if the Waddle dees were only putting on a brave face so he wouldn't attack them? He was quickly taken out of his thoughts when one of the Waddle Dees patted him on the back.

"Lemme guess, you couldn't sleep, either?" asked the Waddle Dee. Though he'd be lying, Dark Matter replied with a nod. "Exactly, I've been tossing and turning so much that I accidentally woke up Gooey."

"That's NOT what happened!" Gooey said bitterly, though he didn't have the energy to argue. Regardless, the Waddle Dee shrugged. "That's all right, we're not gonna judge."

"Just...try to get as much sleep as you can, ok?" said another Waddle Dee.

...Perhaps that demon wasn't entirely right? They could still be putting up with Dark Matter, but they also genuinely wanted to be his friends. After all, they were already much nicer than his siblings. He just needed to make sure he controlled himself.

But what of Lord Zero? If he really WAS alive, then he would've come back already, right? At least that's what Dedede said. That demon could've just been taunting him, but the thought of Lord Zero coming back was still terrifying.

Thinking about all of this made Dark Matter feel uneasy, he began to relax as he squished against the blanket below him. And if that demon came back, then at least there was more people around to look after him.

* * *

As soon as Dark Matter had woken up, it seemed that everyone had left the bed. Nonetheless, the dark blob hopped off of the bed as he switched to his Blade form.

Speaking of which, it was probably a good idea to look for Dedede right now. Dark Matter started floating downstairs. When he reached the kitchen, he could see Dedede and Bandana Dee sitting at one of the tables. There was a cup of coffee on the table, and it seemed that Dedede was talking to someone on the phone.

"Wait, so you're in Grape Garden right now? But there's still no sign of Kirby, huh? Well, I appreciate your help, Meta Knight. Just call me back as soon as you can, all right?"

Dedede let out a yawn. meanwhile, it seemed that Bandana Dee noticed Dark Matter floating not too far from the duo.

"Good morning, Blade!" Bandana Dee greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

"...I slept fine," Dark Matter said quietly. He turned his attention towards Dedede. "So you had something you wanted to tell me, Sire?"

"What...?" Dedede asked before taking a sip of his coffee. It looked like it took him a moment for his thoughts to catch up. "Yeah, That's right...I think Bandana Dee was about to look for Gooey, anyway."

Bandana Dee gave his king a strange look. "I don't remember saying that."

"Oh come on, don't tell me you forget about it already!" Dedede said sternly. Suddenly, Bandana Dee's eyes widened. "Actually, yeah...Gooey COULD use someone to talk to right now."

Bandana Dee hopped out of his chair and headed out of the kitchen. Once he was out of view, Dedede's attention turned to Dark Matter. "So, how long has Nightmare been buggin' you?"

"Excuse me?" Dark Matter asked while tilting his head.

"You heard me!" Dedede argued. "I KNOW that Nightmare's been the reason why you've been acting so weird, lately."

"I...F-forgive me, Sire." Dark Matter had a worried expression on his face. He never told Dedede about the demon toying with him these past couple of nights. But since he knew, what was going to happen to him? Or Gooey for that matter?

Dedede let out a sigh as he took another sip of his coffee. "Listen, you're not the only one Nightmare's played with. Back when Kirby and I were still on bad terms, he'd pop up just to mess with me."

Dark Matter didn't say anything, but Dedede could tell that he was listening.

"He'd go on about how I'd never be able to redeem myself, and that nobody would give me another chance because of the stuff I did. He tried to corrupt the Fountain of Dreams as proof, too."

"And...what exactly did you do?"

"Uh..." Dedede rubbed the back of his head as he tried to think. "Well, obviously you know I'm not a Waddle Dee, right?"

"Really? I couldn't tell." Dark Matter said sarcastically.

"Right, well...My dad WAS a Waddle dee, and he was one of the greatest Kings you could ever asked for. He was nice to everyone and he'd always get what he wanted in return."

"Ah, so where is he now?" Dark Matter asked.

"Well, uh...He ain't around, anymore." Dedede explained. Dark Matter's eye widened as he brought the edges of his cloak to his mouth. "I-I'm so sorry, I had no idea!"

"It's fine," Dedede replied. "I've accepted it a long time ago."

There was a strange feeling inside Dark Matter, how could Dedede accept that the one that raised him was gone? Did he just not care? Or was there something more to it?

"Is something wrong? You're lookin' a little tense right now," Dedede pointed out. Dark Matter shook his head. "I'm...fine, please continue."

"Right...Anyway, once my dad croaked I decided to take over the throne for him. But back then, I thought that being a King meant that I could get whatever I wanted...But I wasn't exactly nice. I'd be taking as much land and food as I wanted."

"In other words, you were a terrible King!"

"Yep, I was. And I probably would've stayed terrible if Kirby hadn't knocked some sense into me." A smile began to form on Dedede's beak. "We we stayed on bad terms for a while after that. but if that kid hadn't beat me up back then I would've turned out exactly as Nightmare expected out of me."

"And so you broke the Star Rod to prove to Nightmare that you weren't a bad person, is that it?"

"Something like that, but I wasn't going to let anyone suffer regardless of how they saw me."

"...I must admit I'm a little jealous." Dark Matter explained. "Gooey was my only 'friend' on Dark Star, and once he was gone I wanted everyone to feel everything that I felt."

"Well you don't feel that way now, do ya?"

"...No?"

"Good!" Dedede said as he hopped out of his chair and hugged the dark blob. "Nightmare can bug you all he wants, but you're not the same Dark Matter as you were back then. So try not to let him get to you, all right?"

Dark Matter was frozen, he would've fallen to the floor had Dedede not been holding him. He couldn't explain it, but it was as if he were feeling all emotions at once. He wasn't even sure if there was a word for this sort of feeling, let alone if it was possible for someone like him to HAVE this feeling. But once the feeling subsided, Dark Matter settled into the penguin's arms.

"Y-Yes, sire!" Dark Matter said contentedly. He could see why Gooey and the Waddle Dees spoke so highly of him, as he really was a "dad" to everyone.


End file.
